The Prophecy
by Isabella Estates
Summary: Love, lies, and black magic. Welcome back to Crowhaven Road. *Chapters 27 and 28 just posted.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

* * *

"I'm so glad that it's almost over," said Cassie, from her seat on Diana's bed. "Just one more day of classes and then we'll have two whole weeks of freedom!" 

"You can say that again," Laurel sighed. Melanie and Diana nodded in agreement. The four girls were having an impromptu pizza party at Diana's house to celebrate the end of the fall semester. It seemed, however, that they were far more excited to be finished with Black John than their classes, but no one wanted to darken the mood by mentioning that.

Cassie looked at Diana, as she sat in her window seat. Prisms dangled above her head, causing the lamplight in the room to reflect over her as if she were some sort of fairy princess. _She looks like one_, thought Cassie. Diana's long blond hair had always made Cassie think of sunlight and moonlight woven together. It was absolutely beautiful.

Had it really only been three months ago that she first walked by this pretty yellow house and saw Diana through the window? Now it was almost hard to imagine a time where she _didn't_ know Diana. These past three months had been filled with so much turmoil that it felt like it had been three years since Cassie moved here.

"What's on your mind, Cass?" Melanie's cool gray eyes were focused on her.

Cassie hadn't realized that she had been staring off into space. She shook her head. "I was just thinking that it feels like I've lived here forever, but it's really only been a few months." She paused. "This time last year I was still in California, completely unaware of my heritage. I was just a little bit of a dreamer and kind of shy. Well, I guess I was practically a wallflower. I didn't even _know_ any boys my age." She laughed softly.

"You've changed a lot," Laurel grinned and took a bite of her veggie pizza.

"Yeah, I have," Cassie agreed.

"You've gotten stronger," Diana said.

"I think we all have," responded Cassie, thinking about how they all stuck together to defeat Black John. In the end, even Sean had gathered the courage to stand up and fight.

_There's nothing frightening in the dark if you just face it_. Her grandmother's words. How she wished her grandmother was still around. Those words had helped give Cassie the strength to stand up to Faye, as well.

_I'm not the strong one_, Cassie thought silently. _It's you, Diana._

Diana had given up the one thing she loved the most--Adam. That took strength. Cassie had tried to give Adam up in the beginning, when she found out that he was Diana's boyfriend, but she had failed miserably. When Diana had given her a second chance, it had still been hard, but she had managed to control herself. Of course, she had Nick to lean on then.

_Nick_. He had been so good to her. She wanted to love him. She wanted to _make_ herself love him. But she couldn't. She just couldn't get Adam out of her system. Their connection was too strong. _The silver cord cannot be denied_.

Apparently Diana had realized that, as well. She had graciously stepped aside so her "little sister" and her childhood sweetheart could be together.

As Diana laughed at something that Laurel said, Cassie wondered if inside Diana was truly happy. If it had been the other way around, Cassie was sure that she, herself, would be dying on the inside. She didn't think that she would have been able to give up the person she had loved for so long. Especially if it meant being around him and his new girlfriend all the time. But then again, she wasn't _Diana_. Maybe Diana really was too good to be true.

* * *

It was dark. Cassie gripped Adam's arm tightly as he pulled her through the blackness. "Come on!" he called to the others behind them. _They had to find her._ They had to get to her before it was _too late_. The darkness was making Cassie dizzy. If only she could keep her eyes open... 

Cassie awoke with a start. She was sitting upright in her wooden four poster bed, with its pink hangings around it. She took a deep breath and let it out. It was just a nightmare, she thought with relief. She couldn't really remember what it was about, but she knew it had seemed _real_. It left her feeling kind of shaky.

"Cassie? Are you up in there? You're going to be late for school!" Her mother called from the hall.

"I'm up," muttered Cassie, and headed towards the bathroom. She still had thirty minutes before Adam was going to pick her up for school. Her heart pounded at the thought of him. They had only really been together for about a week, but Cassie still couldn't believe it. After spending so much time trying to stay apart, every second they had together felt amazing.

* * *

He arrived at eight o'clock sharp, and Cassie took a deep breath as her eyes met his blue-gray ones. Normally his eyes reminded Cassie of the sea. Right now, they were cloudy with concern. 

"You alright?" Adam asked as they walked to his Jeep Cherokee parked in the driveway.

Cassie nodded. "Of course," she replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Adam shrugged and started the ignition. "You just seem a little shaken."

She grimaced. "Oh, it's nothing really. I think I had terrible nightmares last night, but I don't really remember what they were about."

"Well, I would ask if you wanted to talk about it, but since you don't really _remember_, there's not much of a point," he teased. Then he flashed her one of his reckless grins.

She laughed and smacked his arm playfully.

"There you go," he said. "I got you to smile already."

Cassie gazed at his blue-gray eyes, which were focusing again on the road. With Adam around how could she possibly feel bad? Her day was getting brighter already. By the time they arrived at New Salem High School, the remnants of Cassie's nightmare had been long forgotten.

* * *

Cassie and Adam parted ways soon after entering the building. His first class was in a completely different wing. Cassie headed to her locker. She spotted Sean at his locker nearby and gave him a slight wave. He smiled at her eagerly. Cassie spun the dial and opened her locker. As she was pulling out her notebook, a shadow fell over her. She groaned inwardly and turned, expecting to see Sean. 

Cassie's eyes widened instinctively. It was Portia. _I can handle this_, thought Cassie. _I'm not that same tongue-tied, insecure girl that I used to be_. But before Cassie could open her mouth, Portia was speaking.

"I know you had something to do with Mr. Brunswick's disappearance," she said. Her voice was venomous and her hazel eyes had narrowed to angry slits. "You and your stupid _Club_ think that you have everyone fooled. But I'm not stupid. I know exactly what you are and what you are capable of."

"Portia--" Cassie began, but the other girl cut her off.

"Save the crap," Portia snapped haughtily. "Mr. Brunswick was taking a stand. He was putting a stop to all of your special _privileges_. He was changing things around here. That's why you had to get rid of him."

"You have no idea what you are talking about!" Cassie exclaimed.

"I'm talking about the _truth_," Portia said. "I know what you all are capable of--I've witnessed it firsthand!"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "And you learned nothing from it," she replied, finally thinking of a witty retort to Portia. Maybe she really _had_ changed.

Portia glared at her in return. "Mr. Brunswick didn't just innocently disappear during that storm. You did something to him, you and The Club. And you're going to pay for it," she hissed.

"Is that some kind of threat?" Cassie asked, trying to sound more confident than she really was.

"I don't make threats," Portia replied coolly. "I make promises."

Try as she might, Cassie could not think of a witty response. Suddenly Cassie felt like the babbling idiot she had been last summer, with Portia always having the upper-hand in every conversation. _Maybe I haven't changed as much as I thought_.

Portia glared angrily for a moment longer and then turned abruptly on her heel, storming away.

Cassie cursed under her breath. Sean was staring from the other side of the hall, his eyes wide. Apparently he had witnessed the whole thing. He looked worried.

"It's alright, Sean," Cassie said grimly. "We'll handle it."

He swallowed nervously and nodded. "Yeah," he agreed, his voice sounding a little higher than normal.

Cassie glanced at her watch. She was going to be late for her writing class if she didn't hurry. "I'll catch you later!" she called to Sean as she headed toward her classroom.

She still couldn't believe that Portia had the audacity to openly threaten her. Especially considering what happened over Thanksgiving when Sally, Portia, and Portia's brothers had kidnapped Cassie. It had hardly been a challenge for the Circle to take them down. Portia had ended up flat against a tree with Raj growling at her.

_Who would have thought that Portia would dare to do something now?_ Cassie shook her head to herself as she walked down the hallway. Then again, it was _Portia_ _Bainbridge_. Aside from debating, collecting pistols, and treating others like dirt, witch-hunting appeared to be her family's favorite pastime. Cassie recalled the look in Jordan's eyes when she had made a peace offering. They would never give up. The hate would never stop.

* * *

She had just entered the stairwell when she heard a throaty laugh. _Faye_. They both had the same first period class. Undoubtedly Cassie would get stuck walking with her, that is, if Faye was actually planning on going to class. Right now she didn't sound like it. 

"Why don't you come over tonight?" Faye's voice was low and husky. Cassie could see her long mane of black hair. She was leaning over someone in the far corner of the landing, half a flight of stairs above Cassie. The rest of the stairwell was deserted. Faye was obviously trying to lure some poor guy to her house. _To her lair_, thought Cassie.

Cassie gritted her teeth. If she was going to make it to class, she was going to have to walk right by them. Not that Faye would mind the interruption. Faye loved any sort of attention and she would get a kick out of making Cassie feel uncomfortable.

Cassie started up the stairs. It wasn't until she reached the landing that she realized who Faye was talking to. He had dark hair and eyes like polished mahogany. _Nick_.

Cassie was so stunned that she stopped dead in her tracks. His icily handsome face turned towards her. Cassie thought something flickered in those dark eyes for an instant, but his face was a mask of control and she couldn't read his expression. It wasn't unfriendly, though.

Suddenly, a memory surged up inside of Cassie. She was outside in front of the school and she could hear Faye's voice telling Susan that Nick was off-limits because they had an "arrangement." _But that was months ago, right? _Besides, Nick had blown Faye off at the Homecoming Dance. And he had dated _me_, she thought irrationally.

_He couldn't still be interested in her, could he? He wasn't about to agree to go to her house tonight, was he?_ Something hot was boiling up inside Cassie.

_Wait a second, why do you care?_ She asked herself. The thought didn't stop the blinding white heat that was building up inside of her, but it did bring her back to reality.

Cassie realized her jaw was open. She snapped it closed.

Faye was smiling, thoroughly enjoying Cassie's reaction. "Why, Cassie, what a surprise to see you," she drawled. "Nick and I were just having a _private _conversation. You wouldn't mind leaving us now, would you?"

It was too much for Cassie. First the run-in with Portia and now this. She'd reached her breaking point.

Nick was opening his mouth to say something.

"Oh, do what you want!" Cassie snapped at him. Then she continued up the stairs. She could hear Faye's throaty laughter behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

* * *

"So she threatened you?" Adam asked. It was obvious that he was pissed. 

"Yeah, pretty much," sighed Cassie, leaning back in her chair. It was lunchtime and she had just finished explaining what Portia had said to her that morning. Cassie, Adam, Diana, Melanie, Laurel, and Sean were sitting in the glass-walled back room of the cafeteria. For the last few weeks the hall monitors had taken over the place, but since "Mr. Brunswick" had failed to show up for work this week his band of followers were suddenly non-existent. It was almost as if a switch had been flipped. Some of the students who had proudly worn badges last week were trying desperately to pretend that they weren't ever anything as _lame_ as a hall monitor.

Without the presence of Black John's mind control New Salem High was reverting back to its former condition. The Club was ruling the school again. The crowd of hangers-on outside of the back room was proof of that. Cassie couldn't even see the rest of the cafeteria through the glass windows because there were so many people in the way.

"Well, what do you guys think we should do?" Sean asked, looking from Cassie to Diana. Both were now leaders of the Coven, along with Faye.

Diana's green eyes were thoughtful. "I don't know just yet." She looked over at Cassie. "What do you think?"

Cassie bit her lip and shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe we should hold a meeting about it and see what everyone thinks."

There was a moment of silence. Everyone seemed to be lost in thought.

"Well, I definitely wouldn't put it past Portia to have something up her sleeve," commented Adam. "And it's not just her that I'm worried about--it's her crazy gun-toting brothers. They can definitely be dangerous. We'd better be on our guard." He squeezed Cassie's hand under the table. She knew he was remembering what had happened over Thanksgiving.

"If only we knew what they were planning," said Laurel. She paused and took a bite out of her apple. "I mean, they are obviously no problem for the Circle. We could easily handle them if we knew what they were going to do. The only reason they got as far as they did last time was because they surprised us. We had no idea that they were going to kidnap Cassie."

"Yeah, if we knew what they were doing we could just send Deborah," joked Sean. "She could take care of them all!" There were a few giggles from the group.

"Not when they have a gun," said Adam. He wasn't laughing.

Cassie could tell that he was worried about her. Really worried. She could feel it. Suddenly she wished that the others weren't around so that she could comfort him and tell him that it would all be ok. At least, she hoped it would be.

"I have an idea," Melanie said, interrupting Cassie's thoughts. "There might be a way that we can find out what they are planning or if they are even planning anything at all. I read about it in my family's Book of Shadows."

They all looked at her curiously. "What might that be?" asked Adam.

Melanie's gray eyes looked excited. "We could summon an Oracle."

* * *

Cassie was so relieved when the bell finally rang at three-thirty, signaling the end of the school day and the beginning of winter break. There were cheers from her classmates as they stood up from their desks and filed out of the room. 

"See you tonight," said Melanie, as she and Laurel packed up their things. Laurel waved.

"Bye!" Diana and Cassie called in unison. They had decided that the Circle would meet tonight and that Melanie would explain what they needed to do in order to summon an Oracle. She was going straight home to study her Book of Shadows, determined to gather all of the necessary information.

The prospect of speaking to an Oracle was exciting to Cassie and bit intimidating, as well. _How did one go about summoning an Oracle, anyway? _The only Oracles that Cassie had ever heard of were in ancient myths and in those stories the heroes always had to go somewhere and visit one. She hadn't known that an Oracle was something that you could just call to appear.

She hadn't wanted to mention her confusion in front of Melanie, The Club's resident whiz kid. So she waited till Melanie and Laurel had left their AP History class and then she asked Diana about it.

Diana smiled. "Actually, an oracle can be anything that provides a divine communication. It doesn't necessarily have to be a shrine that you have to visit, like the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi in ancient Greek myths."

Cassie felt a little better. "Well that makes a little more sense now. Thanks."

"It should be interesting though, if the spell works," Diana said, as they headed out of the classroom.

Cassie nodded in agreement. She had a feeling tonight was going to be very interesting, indeed.

* * *

Cassie waved goodbye to Diana and headed outside. She was going to meet Adam in the parking lot so he could take her home. Her heart picked up at the thought of him. Adam and his soulful eyes that reminded her of the ocean, his unruly hair with its gold and burgundy strands, that humorous mouth... Distracted, Cassie rounded the corner of the brick school building and plowed right into Nick, who had been leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette, despite the cold December weather. 

He looked the same as usual, dressed in dark jeans, T-shirt, and a leather jacket. He still had the handsome face of an ice sculpture, although his expression had seemed to soften a little during the last month.

Slightly embarrassed about the way she had snapped at him that morning, Cassie muttered a quick "excuse me" and tried to walk past him without being too impolite.

"Cassie, wait," he said, grabbing her arm.

She turned reluctantly to face him. She could feel her cheeks starting to flush.

He put out the cigarette. "About this morning--" he began.

"You don't have to explain anything to me," Cassie interrupted, shaking her head. She did_ not_ want to hear about this. She did not want to even think about Nick and Faye or their "arrangement."

"I know I don't have to explain anything," Nick said irritably. "I just don't want you getting the wrong idea. That's all."

"The wrong idea about what, Nick? You and Faye?" Just thinking about Nick and Faye was making her angry again. She supposed it was because she knew Nick was a nice guy underneath that cold exterior. He was strong and tough, but she still didn't want Faye getting her hooks into him. _Again_, anyway, Cassie thought. "It's a free country. You can do what you want," she said aloud, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah, you told me that this morning," Nick responded. He paused and cursed. Then he looked at her, his dark eyes searching her face. "Look, I don't want to argue with you. I just didn't want you to think that there was something going on when there wasn't. Faye was just being Faye. You know how she is."

Somewhere inside Cassie felt a sigh of relief. She visibly relaxed, some of the tension leaving her jaw. "Why do you care what I think?" she asked softly, before she could stop herself.

Something flickered in his mahogany eyes and he gave a short laugh. "The way you were looking at me this morning with those big blue eyes..." Cassie felt herself flush. He shook his head. "I knew you had gotten the wrong idea and I--well, I didn't want you to hate me for it."

"Nick, how can you say that? I could never _hate_ you. Especially after all that we've been through..." her voice trailed off. How could she possibly put it into words? He had been there for her so many times during the last few months. Not once had he let her down. She had come to need him and depend on him. Didn't he know how special he really was?

Cassie's eyes were filling up with tears. He had been so good to her. If only she could have loved him like she had wanted to. But there was no sense in going there. She had a soulmate, a destiny. There was nothing she could do about it. She was with Adam now and they belonged together. But she cared about Nick, too, and she felt bad. She knew that somewhere, under that icy cool exterior, he was hurting.

She felt his arms around her, pulling her to him. Before she knew it she was crying on his shoulder again. She knew it was unfair to lean on him now, since they weren't together anymore, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away. His arms were so strong and so familiar. She hadn't ever wanted to hurt him...

"What the hell is going on?" Adam's voice cut in. "Cassie, are you ok?"

Cassie pulled away from Nick abruptly, wiping her eyes. Adam looked at her with concern and then he eyed Nick suspiciously.

"It's nothing, Adam. I was just a little upset," Cassie said, trying to brush it off lightly.

"Upset about what?" Adam asked her, taking hold of her hand. He glanced at Nick again. Nick met his gaze coolly, but didn't say a word.

"Oh, just stuff. Faye being Faye, mostly," she said, borrowing Nick's phrase from earlier.

"What did she do now?" Adam looked like he wanted to hunt Faye down and confront her.

"Don't worry about it, Adam," Cassie replied, squeezing his hand. "It's over now. I don't even want to think about her. Let's just let it go."

"Alright, then," he hesitantly agreed. He threw one last curious look at Nick and then lightly nudged Cassie towards the parking lot.

"We'll see you at the meeting tonight," Cassie called to Nick.

He nodded his dark head in agreement.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

* * *

Adam was silent as he started the car and maneuvered it out of the school parking lot. Cassie could tell that he was bothered by seeing Nick holding her. 

"Adam," Cassie began, and then broke off. What could she say? She got upset about Faye and Nick? She felt guilty for dumping a nice guy?

_It's not like Adam has anything to worry about, _thought Cassie_, I mean, we are soulmates._ _Nothing's going to interfere with that_.

Not knowing where to begin, Cassie sighed softly.

Adam glanced over at her in the passenger seat. "So, do you want to tell me what Faye did that upset you so much?" His tone was gentle and soothing. _The "parfit gentil knight,"_ Cassie remembered. Adam was that, indeed.

She gave him a wry smile. "It wasn't just Faye. Although she was being her usual bitchy self today," Cassie confessed. She stared out the window, watching the winter scenery fly past. The bare limbs of the trees looked cold and stark. "I think it's just the accumulation of a lot of things," she continued. "So much has happened lately. I'm just trying to deal with it all."

Adam nodded, encouraging her to go on.

"I think I'm still reeling from finding out that Black John was my... father." She had to force herself to say the words. "And now I'm dealing with threats from Portia. Not to mention Faye being a complete jerk--which is really no surprise. But because of her, I blew up at Nick this morning, when I had no right to." Cassie frowned. "I was really shitty to him and he didn't deserve it. Especially after I left him high and dry."

"Cassie, you never lead him on. You were up front with him from the beginning. You know that," Adam responded.

"Yeah, but I still feel bad," said Cassie. It was the truth.

Adam's gaze narrowed on the road. He nodded but didn't say anything. From his expression Cassie knew that he understood exactly what she was talking about. He felt the same way about Diana. Except that Adam and Diana had been together for ages. _He probably feels worse than I do_, Cassie realized. The thought wasn't comforting.

* * *

A few hours later, Cassie was helping Melanie prepare for the night's meeting. They were in Melanie's basement sorting through jars of odd looking items. Apparently this type of summoning spell required some unique ingredients. However, Cassie's mind was not on the "Eye of Newt" that located was somewhere on the shelf. She kept pondering her conversation with Adam in the car. 

"Melanie, what all do you know about soulmates?" she asked hesitantly.

Melanie looked up from the shelf, distracted. "Hmm?" She arched an elegant auburn eyebrow. Cassie repeated the question, trying to sound casual. Melanie's intelligence could sometimes be intimidating.

"Well, I honestly haven't met any soulmates but you and Adam. It's typically the stuff of legends," she paused and selected a jar on the shelf. She put it in her bag with the others. "But it's two people who are linked. They are connected to each other and they can often feel it somehow."

_The silver cord_, thought Cassie. If she closed her eyes right now, she could imagine it connecting her and Adam, heart to heart.

"Sometimes they are linked for several lifetimes. I don't know how they got that way or why, but there's nothing they can do about it. Neither one will ever feel complete without the other," Melanie said. Then she smiled. "But you and Adam are lucky, though. You're so compatible with each other," she explained.

"Aren't all soulmates compatible though?" asked Cassie, confused. "I mean, aren't they like, compatible because they're connected to each other?"

"Not necessarily," Melanie responded. "Some are complete opposites and it just doesn't work. It's a complete mess."

"Wait, so you mean that they don't end up together?" Cassie almost spilled the bag of herbs that she was holding.

Melanie eyed the bag cautiously and then carefully removed it from Cassie's hands. Cassie flushed.

"Yes, some don't end up together," Melanie confirmed. "They say it's 'too much fire and lightning' or something like that." She shrugged. "Anyway, I'm sure circumstances can be pretty complicated sometimes."

_Yeah, I can imagine_, Cassie thought dryly, remembering her own experience. At least she and Adam were compatible. _What if he had turned out to be a complete jerk?_ _That would have been awful_.

"The sad thing is that those soulmates--the ones who end up apart, will never feel whole again without one another. They can never find true happiness." Melanie shook her head softly. "Together they would practically kill each other, and apart they would practically kill themselves."

"That's terrible," said Cassie. She had never thought that finding your soulmate could be a bad thing, but that situation did not sound pleasant.

"Well, fate's not always fair," Melanie sighed, "But that's just the way it goes."

* * *

The spell had to be performed at midnight. The entire Circle was standing out on the beach, bundled up warm against the harsh December cold at 11:45 pm. Faye, looking radiant as always, was busy inviting everyone to her holiday party that she was having on Friday night. 

Cassie certainly didn't want to be around Faye at the moment, and she wasn't sure how she would feel about going to her party in two days. The Henderson brothers, on the other hand, were already excitedly announcing that they would be there, and Suzan and Deborah were agreeing to come, too, of course. Sean looked like he wanted to tag along, and Laurel and Melanie actually seemed to be considering it. Nick was standing off to the side, looking like he didn't care if he went or not. Cassie noticed that neither Diana nor Adam had agreed to go. _Good_, she thought, _I'm not the only one who's less than thrilled_.

"Diana," Faye called out. "Don't you want to come?"

"I'm not sure, Faye," Diana said, meeting her eyes.

Faye feigned a look of shock. "But you must come. It's going to be so _much_ fun." Faye knew that Diana had no desire to attend one of her parties, but she just wanted to push her. She was enjoying it.

Diana was apparently not in the mood to say "no" and then be forced into admitting that she didn't like to drink and party the way that Faye did. Faye would get too much satisfaction in that. Instead, Diana turned the tables on her. "Sure, Faye," she said, "Since it's going to be so much fun, I'll definitely come."

_And spoil Faye's party_, Cassie added to herself with a smile.

Faye hadn't expected this response, but she immediately recovered. She flashed a brilliant smile. "Maybe you'll have a wicked time."

_There is probably more to that statement, knowing Faye_, Cassie thought. She glanced at Diana, but the blond girl didn't seem to notice. Diana was busy looking at her watch. It was almost midnight.

Cassie, as one of the Coven leaders now, drew the circle in the sand using a dagger and called on the elements. Then, Melanie proceeded to build a fire in the center of the circle. At the stroke of midnight, they all concentrated on the flames. Melanie tossed several handfuls of freshly ground powder into the fire, some of which caused an unpleasant smell. Then she recited:

_Oracle of the blue flame, _

_We summon thee,_

_Heed thy word faithfully._

_Wisdom we seek,_

_With hope we pray,_

_Come now, with no delay._

They kept focusing on the fire for the next few minutes, but nothing happened.

"Can we stop now? My brain hurts," muttered Chris, rolling his blue-green eyes. His disheveled blond hair was blowing everywhere in the chilly night wind.

"Your brain always hurts--when you actually _use_ it," commented Laurel from beside him. "You need to give it more exercise." Chris scowled at her. There were snickers from the group, followed by a few sighs of frustration.

"I guess it was a dud," said Deborah, referring to the spell.

"I guess so," Melanie replied. Cassie couldn't help but notice the disappointed look on her face.

"Well, should we--" Suzan began, but a loud clap of thunder interrupted. It was so close that it made the ground shake.

"Did you feel that?" Diana asked Cassie. Cassie nodded. Everyone in the Circle was looking up at the night sky, trying to see if there were any storm clouds about. But the night wasn't cloudy. The sky was full of stars.

"Look," said Faye, her honey colored eyes were focused on the fire. Cassie followed her gaze. At the very bottom of the flames, it was bright blue.

_That's nothing special_, thought Cassie. _Most flames are that color at the bottom_. But then she noticed that the blue color was spreading. It was growing larger and it was slowly covering the other parts of the flame. After a few seconds there was no more orange or red visible at all. The flames were glowing bright blue. It was one of the eeriest things Cassie had ever seen. She couldn't take her eyes off of it.

Then she saw the outline of a girl flickering about inside the fire as the flames danced. She couldn't make out any of the girl's features, everything was all blue like the flames, but she could see the figure moving. Right now it seemed to be moving its head from side to side, as if it were noting the people seated in around it in a circle.

"I am the Oracle of the Blue Flame," the Oracle said. "You summoned me and I have arrived." It was a woman's voice. It was smooth, melodic, and peaceful.

"We were hoping you could give us some guidance," Diana explained, "We have enemies that wish to hurt us. We want to know what we should do."

"I can only tell you what is and what will be," the Oracle stated. "I cannot tell you what you should do."

"But-" Diana began and the Oracle interrupted.

"I do not answer questions," the Oracle explained. There were looks of confusion from around the Circle. "I only bring messages to particular individuals. I have several messages to give tonight and my time is very limited."

Diana nodded, as if saying "go ahead."

"The first message is for you, in fact, Diana," said the Oracle, in her calm voice. All eyes shifted to Diana, whose face looked slightly surprised. "As the incarnate of the Goddess Diana, Queen of Witches, you are destined to be one with Herne, the Horned God of Nature." There were gasps at this and several looks of shock around the Circle.

_But how can that be?_ Cassie's mind was running wild. _Did I hear that correctly?_

Diana's green eyes were wide, but she gracefully nodded as she accepted her message.

"Adam," the Oracle was continuing, "you are the soul of Herne in the flesh. It is true that you are destined to be with Diana."

_Wait a second--WHAT?_ Cassie must have misheard what was said. _This couldn't be_. _It just couldn't be_. Cassie's heart skipped a beat and then pounded so hard in her chest that she thought she was going to die of heart failure. But somehow she didn't die, and the Oracle was still talking to Adam. "But you struggle, because you are also fated to be with someone else. Your soulmate."

There were plenty of murmurs from the group now. Everyone was confused. Adam, Cassie, and Diana especially.

"You have what is called a 'destiny in conflict.' This is truly a rare phenomenon. But it means that you must choose between one fate or the other," the Oracle explained in her melodious voice. It sounded elemental, like water running over rocks in a stream.

"But how can one person have two fates?" Adam asked. "I don't understand."

_I don't either_, thought Cassie. The faces of the others in the Circle said that they were lost as well. Even Nick look bewildered.

"I do not have the answer to that question," said the Oracle. "But I do know that most people who have competing destinies never know it, so they are never faced with the choice. They simply follow the path that has already been laid out before them. You, however, are destined for greater things. You have two paths before you now and you must choose one. But make your decision wisely, for there is no turning back."

Adam looked shaken. His eyes met Diana's and they looked at each other for a moment. Then he looked at Cassie.

Cassie felt like she was frozen in place. She didn't even know how to cope with what she had just heard.

"Cassandra," the Oracle said.

Cassie jerked her head up and forced herself to look at the blue flame.

"As the child of Black John, darkness will always find you. You must be prepared."

Horrified at the message, Cassie nodded, trying to be strong. She clenched her teeth. A single teardrop rolled down her cheek, betraying her. She wasn't sure if it was due to her own message or Adam and Diana's message. Maybe it was because of both.

"Faye," the Oracle spoke to the dark haired girl, "the fire inside you burns bright and strong, but not with anger or passion. It burns with love. It will lead you to the ultimate battle." Faye just stared at the flame, as if challenging it.

"And finally," the Oracle continued, "Nicholas."

Nick turned his head sharply, as if taken off guard, but his expression was blank.

"You will die young and handsome, just like your father," the Oracle paused, "and much sooner than you think."

Cassie gasped involuntarily and Suzan beside her did the same. Nick's expression didn't change, however. He looked as cold and untouchable as ever.

"My time is up," said the Oracle. There was another ground-shaking clap of thunder and then the blue flames seemed to shrink to the bottom of the fire. Soon there were only red and orange flickers in the flames.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

Please write reviews! Thanks to all of you who have so far! I really like to hear what you all think and it does encourage me to write more often.

* * *

The entire Circle was quiet. The only sound was the occasional popping and crackling of the fire and the soft roar of the waves as they crashed against the sand. Cassie had no idea how long they sat there like that. She was still frozen in place, too overwhelmed to think straight. Suzan was looking at her with worried eyes. "Are you ok, Cassie?" she whispered. 

Cassie nodded numbly. But inside she knew she wasn't alright. How could she be? It seemed like her whole world had gone crazy.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Nick walk away from the Circle. He disappeared past the rocky dunes, somewhere into the dark night. She couldn't blame him. He'd received the worst message of them all.

Adam was looking at her. His expression was unreadable. He looked almost like he was in pain. Diana was next to him, but she was staring out at the ocean, her long blond hair blowing gently in the wind.

Without a word, Cassie stood up and walked toward her house. She needed to be alone for a bit. She needed to shut out all the craziness until she could deal with it. No one tried to stop her.

* * *

She spent most of the following day in her room, still trying to block the world out. Her mom had come in twice to ask if she was alright, but Cassie had pushed her away. _She wouldn't understand, anyway_, thought Cassie. How could anyone understand? 

The one person she was meant to be with was also meant to be with someone else. Someone he had loved for years. Someone he had grown up with. Someone he had known for his entire life. _He's going to pick Diana_, thought Cassie wildly.

The idea of Adam leaving her for Diana terrified Cassie. Especially after all that they had been through. They had struggled for so long, only to find out that they were really meant to be together. And now when she finally thought she could be happy with Adam forever, all of this happened.

_That stupid Oracle. Maybe it's just a bunch of crap, anyway._ Cassie spotted the chalcedony rose that Adam had given her on top of her bombé dresser. Looking at it made her chest hurt. She walked over to it, picked it up, and stuffed it in a dresser drawer. Then she flopped on her bed.

There was a knock on her bedroom door. "Go away," Cassie said.

"Cassie, it's me." It was Adam.

Cassie's heart began to beat faster. "Oh, well, come in," she muttered, trying to sound calm.

He came in slowly, looking a little disheveled. His red hair was ruffled and his eyes were slightly bloodshot. He looked like he had been up all night. He took a seat in the chair beside the bed.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah," he responded. There was a long pause. Finally he spoke again. "This is crazy, isn't it?"

Cassie nodded. Part of her wanted to bury her head under her pillow and not look at him. She didn't really want to talk about this. She didn't even want to _think_ about this. But part of her wanted to know what was going through his head.

"I'm not deciding anything," he said. "There's nothing to decide. I'm with you, Cassie, and nothing is going to change that."

Cassie couldn't believe her ears. She must have misheard him. "What?"

"I love _you_, Cassie," he said. His blue-gray eyes locked on hers.

"But what about, Di-"

"Shhh," he interrupted, moving to sit next to her on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry about that. Diana will be just fine."

Relief flooded through Cassie and she clung to him tightly.

For a while, he just held her.

* * *

On Friday night the Chamberlain house was filled with people. Cassie tried to mask her surprise. She looked at Laurel questioningly. "I thought Outsiders would be too scared to come to one of Faye's parties," she commented. 

Laurel smirked. "I think they're too scared of what Faye might do if they _don't_ come." She nodded at two guys that were standing in the front hall. Although they were both large, muscular boys, they were both looking around the foyer timidly. Cassie recognized them from the football team.

"They'll calm down once they have something to drink," Laurel explained. Then she lowered her voice to a murmur. "Faye puts a sedative in her punch."

"Among other things," giggled Susan from behind them. Laurel rolled her eyes.

Cassie watched as Susan brushed past them and offered the two football players something to drink. The strawberry blonde looked stunning in a pair of black pants and a fitted red top.

Within seconds the guys were following Susan to the punch bowl in the den. Cassie doubted that they needed the sedative. A blonde in a tight top was bewitching enough to most men. These two were no different.

"So if the punch is spiked, what do we drink?" asked Cassie, as the two girls made their way into the kitchen.

"Diana's bringing some stuff for those of us who don't want Faye's Drink-At-Your-Own-Risk Eggnog or the Holiday Punch From Hell. It will be _non-alcoholic_, of course."

"Of course," Cassie echoed. _Like Diana would have it any other way._

Sure enough, Diana met them in the kitchen a few minutes later with several two liters of soda and diet soda, and a bottle of sparkling wine. She pulled the latter out with a grin. "To celebrate," she said. Melanie, Cassie, and Laurel cheered.

"Diana, I'm so _glad_ you could make it," Faye's voice called out from the doorway, cutting through their glee.

The tall girl leaned against the wooden doorframe. She had the appearance of a panther on the prowl. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders in loose waves. Her dress was strapless and satin. It was the color of blood. Faye grinned lazily. "Brought your own supplies, did you?"

Diana met her gaze but said nothing.

"Oh, that's right," laughed Faye. "I forgot. 'He _knows_ when you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.'" She quoted mockingly. "You wouldn't want to get any coal in your stocking this year, Diana. You better stick to drinking_ that_ stuff."

"I doubt Santa would have any coal left after visiting your house," said Melanie dryly.

Faye chuckled. It was a deep, throaty sound. She fingered the star sapphire at her throat. It was obvious that she was enjoying this. "Well, girls, I've got guests to..." she paused, "entertain."

She made it sound naughty.

Before Cassie knew it, Faye had withdrawn from the doorway in one smooth motion, blending into the mass of people behind her.

"Why does she have to be such a bitch?" asked Melanie, her gray eyes were narrowed in frustration.

"Who knows?" replied Laurel, "She's the one who wanted us to come so badly."

"Let's open this," Diana said, gripping the sparkling wine. "There's no reason why we can't have a good time."

* * *

_There's no reason why we can't have a good time_. The words echoed in Cassie's head for the next hour, but she wasn't having fun. 

How could she be expected to have a stellar time when all she could think about were those horrible predictions made by the Oracle? How could she simply forget that Adam was also destined to be with Diana? How could she stop thinking about the darkness that would always find her? And what about Nick--was he really going to die?

Ironically enough, they had summoned the Oracle for answers and all they had now were more questions. _Go figure_. Cassie felt like her brain was on mental overload. She was struggling to deal with it all.

At the moment, she was sitting next to Adam on the couch in Faye's den. His arm felt solid around her. It was comforting and warm. But as she studied his face, she could tell that he wasn't having a great time either. He looked preoccupied. His mind was definitely elsewhere.

Cassie was about to ask him what he was thinking about when Laurel came rushing over. She looked worried.

"Adam! Cassie!" she gasped, "It's Diana. You have to come now!"

Adam and Cassie jumped off the couch and hurried to follow her. They had to push their way through the thick crowd, but they finally made it to the living room at the front of the house.

Diana was curled on the floor in a fetal position. Her pale hair fanned the cream colored carpet beneath her.

"Diana, are you ok?" Adam asked.

She shook her head slightly. "No," she murmured. "I-I've never felt s-so sick."

Diana's face seemed incredibly pale. Almost ghost-like. Cassie had never seen her look so fragile before. It was scary.

"We're going to take you home. Everything's going to be just fine," he said confidently. It was soothing. He took her hand and squeezed it. "Do you know what happened?" He looked up at Melanie and Laurel.

"I bet you it was Faye," Laurel replied angrily. "She probably put something in Diana's drink."

"You don't know that for sure," said Melanie, trying to remain level-headed, as always. "Maybe she's had a bad reaction to something."

Diana groaned on the floor. She looked like she was in pain.

"Are you hurt, Diana?" Cassie asked worriedly.

"No," she whispered, "I just feel really dizzy." She paused. "I think I might throw up."

"Well, let's get you home," said Melanie. She and Adam looped their arms around Diana and helped her to her feet. Cassie held the door open as they headed out toward Adam's car. She watched as Adam and Melanie gently settled Diana into the backseat with Laurel.

Adam turned to Cassie. She could see the silent rage behind his eyes. "Find out if Faye did this," he said. "We'll take Diana home and make sure she's alright. I'll be back to get you soon."

Cassie nodded. Part of her wanted to go with them and make sure that Diana was ok, but she didn't know as much about healing spells and charms that the other girls did. She could, however, stand up to Faye. At least she could help out in that sense.

_Maybe you'll have a wicked time_. Those were Faye's words to Diana, just a few nights ago. _Maybe she did have something to do with this_, Cassie thought to herself.

She could feel the anger welling up inside of her. To do something like this to Diana, who would never hurt anyone, was just blatantly unfair. It was _wrong_.

One way or another, Cassie would get to the bottom of this.

She watched the Jeep Cherokee pull away and then went back inside.

* * *

After twenty minutes of searching the downstairs, Cassie was at a loss. Faye was nowhere to be seen. That meant she had to be upstairs "entertaining" guests or _whatever_... 

Cassie was not about to march into Faye's room right now. She was betting that it was not an appropriate time for an interrogation.

"Damn," she sighed, leaning against the wall of the den. The crowd had thinned out some by now, leaving the ambiance a little softer and quieter. It was getting late.

Cassie eyed the crystal punch bowl sitting on the buffet table that had been set up. The liquid inside the beautiful dish was a deep burgundy. Somehow, Cassie wasn't surprised.

She eyed the mixture thoughtfully. _Was this what had made Diana sick?_

But it couldn't have been. Diana knew to stay clear of the punch. Besides, most of the people at the party drank it and none of them were doubled over on the floor.

_Hmm... so if it was some kind of drug that made Diana sick, it had to have been put in her drink only. _Cassie's thoughts were rolling. If she could find Diana's drink, maybe they could figure out what had been put into it.

She raced to the living room where Diana had been lying on the floor. There were several cups in the room. Some were empty and some were not. But the ones that still had liquid in them were filled with either the punch or the eggnog from the kitchen. Neither of which Diana had been drinking.

_So much for that idea, _Cassie thought. _What a freaking night this is turning out to be._


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

Thanks to those of you who reviewed! It encouraged me to get another chapter up quickly.

* * *

Where was Adam? 

It had been almost forty-five minutes since he had left with Diana, Melanie, and Laurel. By now the party at Faye's had mostly cleared out and Cassie was left standing around by herself.

Normally she wouldn't have waited around, especially _here_ of all places, but Adam had said that he would come back for her. Besides, it was a good walk to Diana's house from Faye's and Crowhaven Road could be downright creepy at night. Why go alone if she didn't have to?

In the meantime, Cassie had reluctantly slumped onto the sofa in Faye's den to wait. She really hoped that Diana was alright. It was definitely too late to call over there to find out. She didn't want to wake Diana's father.

"Hey, Cass!" called Chris, interrupting her thoughts. He made his way over to her and flashed a wicked grin. "How's it going?"

Cassie glanced at her watch. It was just after midnight. She was surprised he wasn't more inebriated. He seemed exuberant, more energetic than normal.

"Not so good," she admitted. "Diana got really sick and had to be taken home. I'm just waiting for Adam to come back and pick me up."

"Bummer," he said. He took a seat on the cushion next to her. "You should have some punch and chill out for a bit."

"No, thank you. I'd prefer to stay away from it," Cassie responded. There was no way she was drinking _that_. Knowing Faye, it had to be some pretty potent stuff.

Chris' slightly tilted blue-green eyes, widened. "You mean you haven't had any yet?" He sounded like he couldn't believe this.

Cassie shook her head.

"It will make you relax. It makes you feel..." he paused, searching for the right word. "_Good_."

Cassie resisted the urge to giggle. Only one of the Henderson brothers would have to think before describing something as simply "good." However, she was sure that what the Henderson brothers lacked in vocabulary skills, they made up for in other areas. Like pumpkin stealing, for instance.

"No, thanks, really. I don't want any," Cassie insisted.

"Don't want any of what?" Deborah asked as she strolled into the room. Doug was at her heels.

"Punch," Cassie replied.

Deborah shrugged. Like she cared whether Cassie wanted punch or not.

"Aw, man, that stuff is awesome!" Doug exclaimed, flopping onto the opposite couch and sprawling out on his stomach. "You _need_ to drink some."

"Come on, Cassie. Try it," encouraged Chris from beside her.

"What is this? An after-school special about peer pressure?" muttered Deborah. "Jeez."

Cassie eyed the burgundy colored liquid sitting a few feet away. It really _did_ look like the Holiday Punch from Hell, as Laurel had so aptly put it. While the punch bowl itself was a beautiful and sparkling crystal dish, the beverage inside had a dark and gloomy thickness to it. It looked like something that might ooze out of a stab wound in a bad horror movie.

But the more Cassie looked at it, the more she felt like she couldn't tear her eyes away from it. Suddenly, she was beginning to notice things that she hadn't seen before. Like how the soft light from the tiffany lamps in the room reflected off of the crystal container in various colors. There were pinks, greens, blues, and lots of red. It was tantalizing.

She was starting to feel very thirsty. Why hadn't she realized that her throat was parched? It felt like she had been swallowing cotton. She gulped dryly.

The dark fluid seemed to be churning inside the bowl. It was almost as if it was alive and calling to her. If she listened closely, she was sure she would hear it...

"Cassie. _Cassie_? Hello, are you there?"

Cassie blinked and tore her eyes away from the punch. Deborah was eyeing her with concern.

"Are you alright there, Cassie?" the biker asked.

Cassie nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. What's in the punch?"

"Black cherry Kool-Aid, booze, some special herbs from the garden," Deborah answered casually. Then she grinned at Cassie. "Nothing deadly."

"On second thought, I think I will have some," Cassie said, before she could stop herself. She didn't know why, but suddenly she had to _try_ it at least. It didn't look like something from a monster movie anymore. It looked delicious. And she was so _thirsty_...

"Alright!" cheered Doug. He pulled himself into a sitting position and watched as she used the heavy silver ladle to pour herself a cup.

Her lips parted and she took a sip of the dark ruby-colored beverage. It felt warm and smooth inside the confines of her mouth. She sensed her body liven as the liquid began to course through her system.

Her heart began to pick up its pace. It thumped steadily in her chest. Harder. And faster. She could feel it everywhere, even in the tips of her fingers.

She had never felt so alive before.

She felt... _good_.

Cassie looked down blankly at the cup that she was holding. She hadn't even realized that she had finished its contents. She tossed the empty cup aside and then her lips twisted into a smile.

"Let's have some _fun_," she said.

* * *

Cassie didn't know where they were going, but they were going somewhere. They were getting out of _this_ place. They were going to find some _real_ action. 

She was glad that she was wearing a slinky black dress with spaghetti straps. It complimented her figure nicely. She was keenly aware that she looked great. She felt great, too.

She followed Deborah and the Hendersons to the front door of Faye's house and she didn't even bother to pick up her coat. She didn't need it. It was December and she was in Massachusetts, but she felt like she had fire in her veins. _Screw the jacket_.

Deborah's hand was reaching for the front door knob when the door suddenly swung open, narrowly missing her face. Her pretty features marred into a defensive scowl.

It was Melanie. The auburn haired girl brushed past Deborah and then spotted Cassie. "Cassie, there you are," she sighed. She looked tired. "Adam sent me to take you home."

Cassie stared at her, as if in a daze. Her blue eyes were slightly confused. _Huh?_

Melanie gave the others a puzzled look. Then she turned her focus back to Cassie. "Are you ok, Cass? Are you ready to go? I told Adam that I would take you back to your house."

_Adam_. That's right. She had been waiting on Adam. It was all flooding back to Cassie now. Adam had taken Diana home because she was sick. _Oh, God, Diana_... How on earth had she forgotten about all of this? What the heck had she been doing?

"Diana--is she alright?" Cassie asked. Her voice sounded strange to her ears. It seemed as if it was miles away from her head.

If it sounded funny to Melanie, she didn't act like it. "Diana's not doing so well," she answered. "We don't know what's wrong with her yet. Aunt Constance came by to take a look at her. She didn't think anything was life threatening, but she said it wasn't good."

"Oh, gosh," Cassie exclaimed. This was horrible. Deborah, Doug and Chris looked glum, too. "Can you take me to her? I'd like to see her if she's still awake."

Melanie nodded. "Adam is still there right now, so I'm pretty sure she's still up."

"Let's go then," suggested Cassie. She was still shocked at herself for forgetting about Diana. Was she going mental or something?

The two girls said goodnight to Deborah and the Hendersons and then stepped out into the night. Once they were inside Melanie's car, Melanie turned to Cassie. "So did you confront Faye?"

"No," Cassie shook her head. "I couldn't find her. I figured she was upstairs with some guy."

"It figures," Melanie replied as she started the engine.

"So Adam sent you to take me home?"

"Yeah, you know how he is. He just didn't feel right leaving Diana right now," explained Melanie. "None of us wanted to leave, but we know she needs some rest. Laurel just went home when I came to get you."

They continued the rest of the short ride in silence. Crowhaven Road was dark and deserted. Moonlight filtered in through the barren branches of the surrounding forest. Most of the large houses that they passed loomed near the road like giant shadows in the night. Cassie was glad that she hadn't walked.

They pulled into the driveway of Number One and Cassie hastily unbuckled her seat belt. She glanced over at Melanie, who remained in her position behind the wheel.

"You're not coming in?" Cassie asked.

Melanie shook her head. "It's late. I'm going to go to bed."

"It's cool," replied Cassie. "I'll either stay over here tonight or get Adam to drive me back. Thanks for the ride."

"Anytime," responded Melanie. "Try not to keep Diana up too long, though. She needs some rest."

Cassie promised she wouldn't and then stepped out of the car. Melanie backed out of the driveway with a wave.

Cassie was on her way up the sidewalk when she was hit with a bout of dizziness. Her steps faltered and she hunched over at the waist, sucking in gasps of the crisp night air. Then as suddenly as it had come, it was gone. She stood up straight, feeling a little self-conscious, even though no one was around to see.

_How strange_, she thought as made her way to the house, but then she shrugged it off. With every step she took, it seemed like energy flowed into her from the ground. She was feeling _much_ better now.

Cassie paused when she reached the front door. She wanted to knock or ring the doorbell, but it was well after midnight. Diana's father was a busy lawyer and wouldn't appreciate being awakened at such an hour.

With her right hand, she reached out and tried the door knob. It turned easily and the door slid quietly open, revealing a darkened foyer. There was a dim light trickling down from the upstairs hallway. _Diana's room_, thought Cassie.

She cautiously and noiselessly made her way up the stairs, not wanting to trip and not wanting to wake Diana's dad. After staying over for so many nights when her mother was sick, Cassie had gotten used to walking around this house in the dark. She knew where most of the squeaky floorboards were located.

When she reached the upstairs landing she saw that Diana's door was a third of the way open. She could hear voices inside. Adam and Diana, obviously. She made her way over to the bedroom and was about to push the door and go inside when she heard her name.

She paused. They were talking about her.

She should have just gone inside and announced her presence, or at least knocked. That would have been the polite thing to do, but somehow she couldn't make herself.

_What are they saying about you?_ A voice whispered inside her head.

Curiosity was killing her. She could almost feel her desire to_ know_ beating down on her as she stood in the blackness of the hallway. But that was crazy, wasn't it?

Her heart was still thudding loudly in her chest. If she could just think clearly... _God, what is wrong with me tonight?_

Of course they weren't talking bad about her. Adam loved her. Diana was her closest friend. She was being ridiculous.

Cassie resisted the overwhelming urge to eavesdrop and extended her hand to knock. She would be polite after all. She couldn't believe that she had actually _debated_ about it.

"I don't want to hurt Cassie," Diana's voice wafted through the open doorway. She sounded upset, possibly crying.

Cassie immediately retracted her arm away from the door. Then she adjusted her stance so she could peek into the room without being observed.

Politeness was definitely overrated.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

Thanks to those of you who reviewed! I really love to hear what you guys think!

_And the plot thickens..._

* * *

Cassie's heart thudded heavily in her chest. From her position in the hallway she could see partially into Diana's well-lit room. Diana was buried underneath a mound of white covers on her full-sized bed. Her beautiful face was contorted with emotion and her flawless complexion had a ghostly pallor. It was a sad sight. Adam sat on the edge of the bed, facing her pale form. 

"What are you talking about?" he asked her. His voice soft and soothing. "Why are you worried about hurting Cassie?"

"No, nevermind," said Diana rasped. She sounded awful. "I didn't mean to say that."

Adam's handsome face didn't look convinced. "Diana, we've known each other our entire lives. I can tell when something's bothering you. Why don't you just talk to me about it?"

Diana seemed reluctant to agree, but eventually gave in to Adam's earnest gaze. She knew he wouldn't give up until he had pried it from her. She sighed weakly before beginning. "Ever since the Oracle said that..." her voice faltered for a moment, "t-that we were also destined to be together, I've been feeling relieved." She began to cry. "Because I tried to stop loving you and I couldn't."

Cassie felt her heart grow cold.

"I-I thought there was something wrong with me," Diana continued.

"Oh, Diana, don't cry, please," Adam cooed, bending down to put his arms around her. "There's nothing to feel bad about. It's not your fault."

Diana was still sobbing gently. "I shouldn't have told you this. I don't want to influence you in any way. I mean, you're with Cassie now and she _loves_ you. I just want you both to be happy."

Diana sounded like she truly meant this. For what it was worth, Cassie believed her. Diana was always thinking of everyone else. But it didn't change the fact that she was still in love with Adam. Somewhere inside Cassie, an inner rage flared. Adam belonged to _her_.

"To tell you the truth," Adam whispered, "I was kind of relieved myself."

Cassie's heart stopped. It took all of her strength not to make a sound. She stood there frozen in the hallway, as if welded to the floor.

"I knew that I belonged with Cassie, but my feelings for you just wouldn't go away. I figured they would wane some with time, but they didn't," he confessed. "I thought I was going crazy."

There was a pause and Diana turned to look up at him. "Are you saying that you still love me?"

His eyes locked on hers. "Yes."

* * *

Cassie had no idea how she had managed to creep downstairs and out the front door of Diana's house without being heard. She was an emotional wreck. On top of that, it seemed like the entire world was spinning. 

Part of her was so upset. This was her worst nightmare come true. _Adam was still in love with Diana_. An intense fear was building up inside of Cassie. Adam was going to leave her for Diana, she just knew it. Any second now, she was going to break down and cry.

Another part of her filled with anger so deep that it scared her. She hated them. _She hated them both_.

She had to get out of here. She needed to go home. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she started down the sidewalk to the driveway.

The December wind started to pick up and she began to shiver. However, she wasn't shivering from the cold. She was shivering because it was electrifying. It was as if the wind was carrying a strong current. She could feel the energy flowing into her. _Empowering her_.

Unconsciously Cassie lifted her hands. She stood at the edge of the sidewalk with her arms outstretched, letting the wind rage against her as the tears continued to fall. Strands of her light brown hair whipped around her head with the furious gusts. She closed her eyes and gave in to it.

When the wind stopped, the tears were gone. A strange calm had settled over her. She felt _good_ again. Cassie brushed off a few bits of leaf that clung to her dress and then headed out to the darkened street.

So what if Adam didn't want her?

A wicked grin slid across her lips. A light was on in the garage of Number Two.

She knew someone who _did_.

* * *

Nick was just putting his tools away when Cassie walked through the side door of the garage. He was dressed in a white t-shirt that was smudged with several grease stains and a pair of faded jeans. He had a beer in one hand. 

He looked up at her, surprised. "Cass, what are you doing here?"

She slowly smiled at him. "I thought I might stop by to say hello. I didn't see you at Faye's party." Her voice came out in a soft murmur, much like a purr.

Nick's mahogany eyes wandered over her thoughtfully, taking in the slinky black dress, the heels, her full red lips.

"I didn't go to Faye's party," he stated simply. He took a sip from the bottle he was holding. "Don't you think it's a little late for a visit?"

"That _depends_," Cassie teased, as she strolled over to him. She stopped directly in front of his tall frame, deliberately invading his personal space. His face was only inches away from hers now. He didn't back away.

"On what?" he asked.

"On what happens during that visit," Cassie replied in a low voice. Her blue eyes were heavy lidded. She gazed at him seductively.

Nick took a step backward, away from her. He let out a breath. "Are you on something, Cassie?"

"Don't be silly," she purred, coming a step closer.

"You're acting like Faye." It wasn't a compliment. Nick took another step back.

"Can't a girl go after what she wants?" Cassie pretended to pout. She took another step toward him, forcing him back against the work table that ran along the side of the garage. He was trapped. She placed her hands on his t-shirt, feeling the smooth muscle underneath.

"What about Conant?" he demanded, his dark eyes boring into hers.

"What about him?" Cassie tossed the question aside casually.

"That's what this is about, isn't it? That whole Oracle thing messed you up real bad, huh?" Nick paused and shook his head. "You know, Cassie, I'm always here for you, but not like_ this_."

"What are you talking about?" Cassie was confused.

"You can't use me to get back at Conant every time the two of you have a fight," he replied. His voice sounded detached to Cassie's ears but she sensed that there was anger hidden underneath.

She just stared at him numbly. Somewhere inside his words were starting to make sense to her.

Nick knew that he had struck a nerve. "So that it's, huh?" he asked, confirming that he had been right. He cursed under his breath. "Is he leaving you for her?"

Cassie slapped him across the face. "_Shut up_," she cried out, enraged.

Nick raised a hand to his cheek and rubbed it. It was beginning to turn red. His dark eyes were wide and he gaped at her. His typical icy façade was completely shattered.

Cassie's hand throbbed, sending ripples of pain up her arm. It jolted her back to her senses. She gazed at him, horrified by what she had just done.

"Oh, God, Nick..." Cassie gasped. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." Then she remembered how she had been acting when she came into the garage. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. _Oh, God... what was I thinking? What in the world is wrong with me?_

For the life of her, she couldn't even begin to fathom why she had acted in such a manner.

She leaned forward and gently kissed the reddened area on his cheek. "I'm so sorry," she repeated.

"Get out," he said coldly. He wouldn't look at her.

Cassie turned and fled into the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It really motivated me to get another chapter out this week. A darker side to Cassie _is_ kind of fun, isn't it? And Alanna99, I tried to make it a little longer like you asked. Hope you all enjoy!

**A/N:** Since the books were originally published in the early 1990s when cell phones weren't in common use, I'm going to assume for the sake of the story that they still aren't. As you'll see, this makes communication much more difficult.

* * *

Cassie awoke the following morning feeling like she had been hit by a train. She felt like she had pulled every single muscle in her entire body. To top it all off her head was pounding. The slight trickle of sunlight that flowed in through her thick curtains made her cringe. 

_I feel awful_, she thought. _I must be sick_.

She squinted at her digital clock on the nightstand next to her bed. It was just after eleven A.M. Stifling a groan she managed to sit up, pulling the dusty rose comforter around her.

_Is this what a hangover feels like?_ She thought to herself as rubbed her eyes. But that didn't make any sense. She couldn't be hungover. She only had one cup of punch the night before.

_Oh, God. The punch_. She didn't even _know_ why she drank any of it. She certainly hadn't intended to. It had just gotten into her head somehow that she needed to have some. That she _wanted_ some. She had been unable to resist. Then she had lost control. _What the heck was in that stuff?_

Memories of the previous night were starting to flood her consciousness. An image of Adam sitting on Diana's white bedspread came to mind. Cassie shuddered as she recalled him telling Diana that he still loved her.

A searing pain began tugging at Cassie's insides. This was a different kind of pain than the hangover. Somehow, it hurt worse.

She couldn't think about Adam and Diana now. She just _couldn't_. She would go crazy.

Something else had happened last night, too. There was another reason why she felt like staying in her room for the rest of her life.

_Nick_. Oh, God, the way she had _acted_. She had blatantly come on to him! And then she had slapped him for goodness sakes! Was she_ insane_? Did she need to be checked into the nearest looney bin? Clearly, she had issues.

It had to have been the punch. There was simply no way that she would act like on her own. No way.

_Darkness will always find you_. The Oracle's voice echoed inside Cassie's head.

_Yeah, like darkness found me in the punch_, Cassie thought sarcastically. _It was probably just Faye's toxic recipe_.

But what difference did it make? How was she going to face any of them again? How could she look at Adam knowing what he felt about Diana? How could she be best friends with Diana knowing that Diana was still in love with Adam? How could she talk to Nick again without dying of embarrassment?

_I have to get out of here_, she thought desperately. _I can't deal with this right now_.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in her head, Cassie managed to get out of bed and into a hot shower. The soreness in her muscles eased some, allowing her to relax a bit. By the time she stepped out of the tub and got dressed, her mind was made up.

She grabbed a large duffel bag from her bedroom closet and stuffed it full of clothes. Then she dug through her sock drawer and pulled out a thick white envelope. She opened it and peered inside at the cash it contained. It wasn't a large sum. It was just some money that she had earned baby-sitting over the last few years.

But it was enough.

* * *

It was around eight o'clock in the evening when Adam knocked on the front door of Number Twelve. He had meant to come by and see Cassie earlier or give her a call, but he had been so caught up with taking care of Diana that he hadn't gotten around to it yet. Diana was so sick and weak. It had been hard to leave her, even when Melanie insisted that he go home and get some rest. He wished that there was more that he could do to help her. 

Adam waited silently for a few minutes until Ms. Blake opened the door. He felt a wave of heat flow out from the interior of the house and into the freezing night.

"Hi, Ms. Blake, I was just coming by to see Cassie." He flashed her a grin. It was still strange to see her up and about after she been practically catatonic for weeks. She was finally starting to get some color back in her pale cheeks. That was a good sign.

Ms. Blake looked slightly confused. "I thought Cassie was with you," she said.

"No, ma'am. I haven't seen her all day," Adam explained. "Is she not here?"

"No," Ms. Blake replied, shaking her head. "She left hours ago."

A strange prickling sensation was starting on the back of Adam's neck. Something wasn't right. He could _feel_ it. He glanced over at the driveway. The VW Rabbit was parked in its normal spot.

Ms. Blake followed his gaze. "Maybe she's out with Diana or someone else?" Her voice carried a hint of worry.

"No, Diana's sick. She might be out with one of the others, but I don't think so." Adam paused to think. "She didn't say where she was going at all?"

"No, she just said that she was going out for a while," Ms. Blake answered. Then her eyes widened. "She had a bag with her."

"A bag? Like a duffel?"

Ms. Blake nodded. "I didn't think anything of it at the time. I'm so used to her staying at Diana's or getting ready for a big event at someone's house. I should have _asked_ her about it," she berated herself. Her voice was starting to tremble. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

"Me, too," Adam said.

"You don't think something's happened to her, do you? She wouldn't run away or anything, would she? Not _Cassie_." The fear was evident on Ms. Blake's face.

Adam's thoughts flickered to Portia Bainbridge and her vicious older brothers. They had snatched Cassie from her driveway once before. Portia had even threatened Cassie just this week. Could the Bainbridges have done something to her again? Had they taken her someplace? He sure as hell hoped not.

But the more he thought about it, the more it didn't sit right. His intuition was telling him that the Bainbridges weren't involved. He hoped his instincts were correct. He couldn't be sure.

He decided to put on a show of confidence for the sake of Cassie's mother.

"Well, let's not jump to any conclusions just yet," he said. "You said she was carrying a bag with her when she left. Let's check out her room and see if she packed anything. Or better yet, we can check around the house--she might have left a note for you somewhere."

* * *

They didn't have to search long in Cassie's room. There was a folded note sitting on top of Cassie's pink bedspread, waiting to be discovered. The outside was addressed to Adam. 

He quickly unfolded it while Ms. Blake looked on.

_Dear Adam,_

_By the time you find this letter I will be gone. Gone for how long? I don't know. Maybe for good._

_Right now I just need some time to be by myself. I think you need some time by yourself, as well. You obviously need to sort out your feelings and I think that would be impossible to do while you are still dating me._

_I know that you still love Diana and that she still loves you. Don't ask me how I know, I just do. _

_It's your destiny, Adam. This is isn't some silly decision that you can just make on a whim._

_Please know that I love you. I always will._

_Cassie_

Adam felt a lump form in his throat. He just stared at the letter.

Cassie was gone.

* * *

"Cassie's missing?" Suzan was shocked. She looked around at the other members of the Circle who were gathered in Diana's living room for an emergency meeting. Everyone was present except for Diana, who was completely unaware of the night's events and was asleep upstairs. 

Adam nodded and then ran a hand through his wine-colored hair. "We think she ran away this morning. She left me a note."

"Well, what are we going to do?" asked Laurel.

"Find her, of course," answered Adam, "and bring her back home."

"Did she say why she left?" This question was from Deborah, whose pretty face was marred by a scowl.

"Yeah," Adam swallowed bitterly. "She's upset about what the Oracle told me. She basically broke up with me and told me that we each needed to be alone for a while."

There was a terse silence. Members of the coven looked at each other awkwardly.

"The good news is that her car is here. So she couldn't have gone far," Adam said.

"She took off on foot? That doesn't make sense," Nick commented. It was the first thing he had said all night. "It's too cold out."

"I saw an airport cab drive down the street this morning," Sean piped up. "It must have been her!"

Adam swore under his breath.

"Do you think she went back to California?" asked Chris. He and Doug both looked concerned.

"Probably. I don't know where else she would go. But we don't know for sure," Adam responded. "Did she say anything to anyone about this last night? Who was the last to person to see her?"

"Well, I drove her over here last night and dropped her off," Melanie suggested. "So I guess you and Diana were the last ones to see her."

"I thought you took her home from Faye's house," Adam said.

Melanie shook her head. "She insisted on seeing Diana. She wanted to check on her."

"Well, we never saw her," Adam replied, pacing the floor with his nervous energy. Then he stopped. _So that's how she knew. She must have come inside and overheard our conversation._

Oh, God. All of this was his fault.

"She was acting sort of funny, though." Melanie's voice cut into his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Adam's blue-gray eyes were focused on her intently.

"She just seemed really out of it." Melanie shrugged.

"Well, she did chug that cup of Faye's punch right before you showed up," Deborah commented.

"She _what_?" Adam stared at her in disbelief. "Why would Cassie do that? She knows it's loaded with stuff."

"Maybe she couldn't resist it," suggested Faye from the other side of the room. Her voice sounded smug. She was casually studying her fingernails, which were painted a bright scarlet.

"What did you do?" demanded Adam. He looked angry enough to throttle Faye.

She rolled her amber colored eyes at him. She looked utterly bored with this conversation.

"I put a charm on it, specifically for Cassie. She seemed like she needed to loosen up a bit," Faye explained nonchalantly. "It was just a potion for a little wildness."

"Don't you know what that stuff will do to someone as powerful as Cassie?" Adam practically yelled. He was absolutely furious.

The strength of that type of potion multiplied in proportion to the power of a witch who drank it. The stronger the witch, the heavier the potion and its effects were. Cassie must have felt completely out of control.

Faye's eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

"I know exactly what it does to someone as powerful as _Cassie_," she hissed.

"Did you drug Diana, too?" Adam snapped at her.

"No," Faye answered, glaring at him. "I told you already that I had nothing to do with that. Besides, Melanie's aunt said it was some sort of virus."

"She's right," Melanie told Adam. "Aunt Constance said it wasn't drug induced."

Adam didn't look one hundred percent convinced, but he let it go for the time being. Yelling at Faye wasn't going to solve anything.

"So after you dropped her off last night, Melanie, then what?" prompted Laurel. "Adam and Diana didn't see her. That means she must not have gone inside. Do you think she just went home?"

"No, that wouldn't have made sense." Melanie shook her head. "I could have dropped her off at home in the first place, but she didn't want me to."

Adam bit his lip. He didn't want to have to explain what Cassie might have overheard last night. But the Circle wasn't buying the idea that Cassie had gotten a ride to Diana's house just to turn around and walk home in the freezing December weather. He was going to have to tell them...

"She came to see me," Nick stated. The rest of the coven looked at him. Chris and Doug were scowling. Suzan's eyebrows were in her hair.

"When?" Adam asked.

"Around one o'clock or so last night. I guess it was after Melanie dropped her off over here." He paused. "I knew something was up. She was acting funny."

"How so?" Adam could feel a spark of jealousy rising inside of him. _Cassie had visited Nick at one in the morning? After drinking a Surrender-to-Your-Inner-Wild-Child Potion?_ This was _not_ looking good.

Nick shrugged. "Just stuff she said. The way she was acting."

Adam could only imagine.

No one pays a visit to a member of the opposite sex at one a.m., just to_ talk_.

He shuddered at the thought.

"If you touched her, I swear to God, I'll-"

"You'll what?" demanded Nick, his mahogany eyes looking harsh. He was spoiling for a fight.

"I'll-" Adam began, but Melanie interrupted.

"Stop it! Both of you!" she cried out. "Right now we need to focus on trying to get Cassie back."

Adam knew that she was right. Still, he hoped to God that Nick hadn't taken advantage of Cassie when she was in that condition. He didn't think so, but he couldn't be sure. Nick could be so unpredictable at times. And if Cassie had been there acting wild or suggestively, would Nick have gone for it? More importantly, could he have _resisted_?

Adam let out a swear and tore his eyes away from Nick. It was no use. He wasn't going to get any answers from Nick right now, if ever.

"Well, Cassie has to be in California at one of her friend's houses or something," Deborah said, slicing through the tension in the room.

"We should talk to Ms. Blake and make a list. Figure out where to go and who to call," Laurel suggested.

"Good idea," commented Adam. "As soon as we figure out where she's at, I'll go out there and make sure that she comes home."

"_Ahem_," Faye cleared her throat loudly. Everyone looked at her. "I just thought I should point out something. Adam's the whole reason why she left in the first place. I don't think _he's_ the one who should go after her." She smiled at Adam coolly.

"I hate to admit it," said Melanie, "but she _does_ have a point. Who's to say that if you went out there Cassie wouldn't just run to someplace else? She said you guys needed to be apart for a while, didn't she?"

"Well, yes, but..." Adam's voice trailed off.

"Mel's right," said Deborah. "We shouldn't risk Cassie running off again."

"Besides, Diana needs you here, too," Laurel put in.

Adam looked flabbergasted. Of course, _he_ should be the one to go after Cassie. It just seemed natural. But he had to admit that they were right. Cassie had run away from _him_ and Diana _did_ need him here. He didn't like it one bit, but he couldn't deny it.

"Well, if I don't go after Cassie, who will?" he asked, frustrated.

The Henderson brothers practically jumped off the couch.

"We'll go save Cassie!" yelled Chris.

"Yeah, we can do it!" Doug chimed in.

Adam resisted the urge to grimace. While their hearts were certainly in the right place, the two of them didn't have enough sense to make it out to California, find Cassie, and make sure that she came home. Knowing the twins, there would undoubtedly be fist fights, arguments, and a whole lot of other mischief along the way.

This was a job for Adam. Plain and simple. Cassie needed him. He was just opening his mouth to say so when Nick stood up.

"I'll go." Nick's handsome face looked cold, resolute.

"Yeah, let Nick go!" Deborah said. There were nods around the room.

Adam glanced at the dark haired boy sharply, but held his tongue.

Doug was openly frowning at Nick. His tip-tilted eyes looked defensive. "We just said _we'd_ go."

"Fine, all three of you will go," groaned Melanie, rolling her eyes. "Now let's just figure out where she is exactly."

"Right. I'll go talk to Ms. Blake and get started on that list." Laurel announced, standing up from her chair. Several of the others went upstairs to check on Diana. The meeting was breaking up.

In the meantime, Adam tried not to glare at Nick. Nick was the right person for the job, of course, as much as Adam hated to admit it. Nick was strong, he could take care of himself, and he could keep the Henderson brothers in line. He also cared about Cassie.

But still it pained Adam not to be the one to go after her. He was her _soulmate_ after all, didn't that count for something?

Nick looked up and caught Adam staring at him. His dark eyes evenly met Adam's intense gaze.

Jealousy surged through Adam, yet again.

It looked like Nick would get to play the hero this time.

_Bastard_.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**faefay**, **Lady of Masbolle**, **Alanna99**, and **emmie4348**--thanks so much for all of your reviews! I'm really glad that you all are enjoying the story so far and I love to hear what you think! You guys are the main reason I've been updating so much.

**Sparkle63**--I'm glad you like the Nick/Adam dynamic. L.J. Smith always hinted at it in the books and I couldn't wait to have fun with it in my story. Thanks for the reviews!

**Wireless**--I totally agree with you. Nick really is a noble and loyal character underneath that bad boy exterior. (It's kind of hot, isn't it?) As for the ending of the story... well, that definitely won't be for a while. I'm trying to stay as true to the characters as possible and keep the story interesting and fresh at the same time. My goal is to have you believing that the characters would actually do these things, but at the same time to have you guessing at what is going to happen next. We'll see if I can pull it off... Thanks for the review!

* * *

It was eight o'clock Pacific Standard Time when Cassie knocked on the door of Beth Staunton's house in Reseda, California. Although it was dark outside, the temperature was still twenty degrees warmer than it had been in New Salem. 

Cassie tried to think positively. _At least I ran away to better weather, right?_

Then she grimaced. She had run away. She had _actually_ done it. Part of her couldn't believe it, but here she was standing in California. The palm trees, Spanish tile roofs, and traffic jams were not imaginary. She was here.

_OK, so maybe it wasn't the wisest decision in the world_, she admitted to herself. She was well aware that she had acted rashly. But it had all been too much to deal with and she had really needed to get away. She hoped her mother wouldn't be too worried. _I'll have to call her in a little while_, Cassie thought.

Unfortunately, running away had never seemed to solve any problems in her life.

_Maybe this will be a first_.

One could always hope.

Cassie looked up as the door opened, revealing a teenage girl with curly cinnamon-colored hair.

"May I help you?" the girl asked.

"Beth!" Cassie exclaimed. _My God, she doesn't recognize me!_

Beth's eyes widened at the sound of Cassie's voice. Her jaw dropped open as she realized who was standing in front of her. "Cassie!" she shrieked, pulling her into a hug. "Oh, my gosh! What are you _doing_ here?"

"I came to visit," Cassie said sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind. I know it's winter break and everything."

"Of course, we don't mind!" Beth laughed. She sounded giddy with excitement. "My parents are Buddhists, remember? They don't care if you show up at Christmas time."

_That's exactly why I came here_, Cassie thought to herself as she picked up her bag and followed Beth into the sprawling Spanish style house.

Beth's parents were both new age hippies. They had always claimed that their door was open to any "free spirit" who wanted to stop in. Which _did_ come in handy if you ever needed a place to crash.

"I can't believe this!" Beth was shaking her head. "You're _actually_ here! And _look_ at you!" She gestured at Cassie.

"What about me?" Cassie was lost.

"You look freaking amazing!" Beth gushed. "I didn't even recognize you. Did you get a makeover or something?"

Realization suddenly dawned on Cassie. She didn't look like some ordinary girl anymore. Not since Suzan had shown her a thing or two about beauty. That had only been a few months ago, but Cassie had gotten so used to her new look that she had practically forgotten her old one.

She quickly remembered how overwhelmed she had been when she had first seen the girls in her coven. They had been absolutely stunning. Like no one she had ever seen. Did Cassie give Beth that impression now?

"Yeah, I did have a makeover of sorts." Cassie answered with a shrug, trying to sound casual. "My new friends are really into that type of stuff."

"They must be," Beth responded. Her green eyes were sparkling. "You're like a supermodel or something. I'm totally jealous."

Cassie felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Beth grinned at her. "Come on," she said. "Let's go put your things away and then call Clover and Miriam. They're going to die when they see you!"

* * *

An hour and a half later Cassie found herself sprawled out on a sleeping bag in Beth's room, along with her old friends. Miriam Cook, a petite blonde with a sharp wit, sat to her right. Clover Zellinger, a quiet African-American girl, was to her left. Beth was perched on top of her twin bed, propped by her elbows. 

The scene was strangely familiar. Cassie had known these girls since elementary school and she could think back on countless sleepovers, just like this. Had it really only been six months since she had last seen them? It seemed like a different lifetime.

After the two other girls had gotten over the shock of seeing Cassie again, they, too, had gushed about her new appearance. She tried not to let it go to her head. Then they had changed into their pajamas, made a bowl of popcorn, and asked her a million questions about her life in New Salem.

Of course, Cassie couldn't tell them too much. Everything about Black John and finding out that she was a witch had to be left out. Her responses to their questions were mostly general.

"Why are you really here, Cassie?" Clover asked softly. Her dark eyes were searching Cassie's face. "We know you're upset about something."

Cassie flopped onto her pillow with a sigh. She should have known that she wouldn't be able to avoid _that_ question. She bit her lip and debated about how to approach the subject.

"Guy troubles," she explained simply. "I just needed to get away for a bit."

"Guy troubles?" exclaimed Miriam, her blue eyes wide. "You mean our shy little Cassie has a _boyfriend_? Man, have you changed."

Beth nodded in agreement. "So spill," she said. "What's the story?"

Cassie groaned inwardly. _Do I have to?_

Her friends were looking at her expectantly.

"Well, for starters, he's not my boyfriend anymore. I broke up with him before I left," Cassie began reluctantly.

"Why? If you don't mind me asking, that is." Beth glanced at her curiously.

_Why?_ Cassie repeated Beth's question in her head. How on earth was she going to keep _this_ simple? Her life felt like an incredible mess.

_You really want to know what happened?_ she thought sarcastically._ Buy the book._

Cassie certainly had enough drama to fill one.

"Basically, he still has feelings for his old girlfriend. I told him that he needed some time alone to sort that out." Cassie finally answered.

"Do you love him?" Clover wanted to know.

"Yeah, I do," Cassie nodded. Then she paused. "It's crazy though. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me," Clover insisted.

_We're soulmates_, Cassie thought. Yeah, like they'd buy _that_.

"It's like we're meant to be or something. But it's complicated," Cassie shrugged, putting it simply.

"Oh, I totally know how that is," Miriam said sympathetically.

_No, Miriam, I don't think so_...

"It's like when I dated Matt McCall last summer. I really thought we would end up together. Like it was fate, you know? But then he dumped me for that tramp, Ellen," Miriam elaborated.

"I don't believe in fate," Beth stated. "I think people make their own choices. You choose to be with someone because you love them, not because you had no other option."

"That is so _unromantic_," scoffed Miriam. "I believe there is one person out there for everyone. Someone they are _meant_ to end up with, no matter what."

_Or maybe two people out there for everyone_, thought Cassie, as she recalled Adam's predicament.

_Fate sucks_.

Suddenly Cassie found herself wishing that Beth was right and that fate didn't exist. If there was no such thing as fate, then Adam couldn't be destined to be with both Cassie and Diana. Things would be _so_ much easier that way.

"_Fate's not always fair. But that's just the way it goes,"_ Melanie had told her the night they summed the oracle.

Well, screw that.

If fate didn't exist you wouldn't have to worry about whether or not it was fair. People would just fall in love on their own. There wouldn't even be such a thing as a "competing destiny." Besides, where was the romance in being forced to love someone?

_I want Adam to love me because he chooses to, not because he is forced to against his will, _Cassie thought defiantly.

If only things were that simple.

* * *

"I swear, if another guy comes up and asks you to dance, I'm going to have to start beating them off with a stick," Beth commented to Cassie. It was three days after their sleepover celebration and Cassie and her friends were out at The Raven, one of the hottest clubs in town. The girls had aspired to come here for years, but had never been admitted before. When Cassie had walked up to the entrance tonight, the bouncer had taken one look at her and let them all pass through. He hadn't even checked their I.D.s. 

The girls had to admit, Cassie looked stunning in her red dress with her light brown hair hanging in loose waves around her shoulders. Guys had been begging her to dance with them the entire time. She kept turning them down.

"Wow, Cassie, you are so popular now," Clover remarked in awe.

"Yeah, and that dude over there is totally checking you out," said Miriam.

Cassie followed her gaze across the darkened room. Leaning against the bar, was a guy dressed entirely in black. He had a shock of spiky, white blond hair and a very handsome face. He looked to be around twenty or so, and was obviously some kind of punk.

Cassie shrugged. "So?"

"Well, you should go talk to him or something," suggested Beth. "He's really good looking."

"I came here to get away from guy drama," replied Cassie, as she shook her head. "I'm not interested."

"Girl, you are out of your mind," sighed Miriam, but she let it go.

After fifteen minutes, ten more guys had asked Cassie to dance. At first it had been funny for her friends, but it had gotten old quickly. They wanted guys to ask _them_ to dance and so far it had only happened once or twice.

Cassie was starting to sense some awkward tension. Both Miriam and Beth had sullen looks on their faces.

Cassie sighed. It wasn't like she _meant_ to steal all of the attention.

"You know what guys? I could use some air," she said, as she stood up from their table. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Beth and Miriam merely shrugged at her, but Clover offered to come with.

Cassie shook her head. "Thanks, anyway. I just need a minute."

There was an outdoor balcony adjacent to the dance floor. Cassie made her way over to it and stepped out into the crisp night air.

* * *

She had only been outside for a few minutes when she heard the door to the club open behind her. Footsteps slowly approached. 

"Mind if I join you?" It was a male voice, smooth and deep.

Cassie turned to see the blond punk standing a few feet away. He smiled at her, revealing a mouth of perfect white teeth.

God, he was good looking.

"Suit yourself," Cassie replied.

He sauntered over to her casually. The darkness outside seemed to cling to his black clothing, blending him with the night. When he got closer, Cassie could see that his eyes were as black as onyx. His eyebrows and hair were a perfect contrast--pure white, not bleached.

Cassie noticed several tattoos on his forearms. Some looked like Asian symbols, while another was a snake. She tried not to stare at it and forced her eyes up to his face.

His features were classically sculpted with high cheekbones and a straight nose. He was beautiful, yes, but there was an overall softness to his features that Cassie couldn't quite place. Even though she wasn't religious, she was suddenly reminded of several renaissance paintings she had seen.

He had the face of an angel.

He was looking down at her, studying her thoughtfully with his midnight eyes.

"I could sense your power from across the room," he said in a hushed tone.

Cassie's jaw dropped in surprise. "Are you a--?" _Witch_, she thought.

He chuckled slightly. "No," he replied. "But I can spot one."

_Oh, God, he's not a witch hunter is he?_ Cassie thought for a brief moment, remembering the Bainbridges. But her instincts were telling her that wasn't the case. It just didn't feel right. Whoever he was, he wasn't a witch hunter.

"Who are you?" Cassie whispered, gazing at him.

"I'm Bastian," he said, as if that explained everything. Then he leaned against the balcony railing and flashed her a devilish grin. "What's a beautiful girl like yourself doing out here all alone?"

_Is he flirting with me?_ No matter how handsome or charming he was, Cassie was not in the mood.

"Doing some serious thinking," Cassie snapped, suddenly hoping that he would go away.

Instead he just looked at her, as if he was intrigued by her response. "About what?"

_It's personal_, Cassie had been about to say, but then she stopped herself. He had known she was a witch. Maybe he knew something about fate. It was worth a shot, anyway.

"Do you believe in prophecies?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"I believe in lots of things," he murmured quietly.

"Is that a yes?" Cassie wondered aloud.

He nodded.

"Well, do you think a person can change their fate?" Cassie bit her lip. The question had been bothering her for a while. She hoped he wouldn't laugh at her.

"I think it's possible," Bastian replied. "But only if they know someone powerful enough."

"Seriously?" she asked. She felt a twinge of hope form inside.

"Yes," he answered. "But, unfortunately, those who are that powerful are very hard to come by."

Cassie's face fell. She could feel his dark eyes on her, watching her disappointed reaction.

"Why?" he asked suddenly. "Did you get a terrible prediction?"

His voice sounded slightly mocking. He was teasing her. Or was he?

"Yes," Cassie admitted frankly. "A few of my friends and I did." She paused and looked out over the balcony, letting her gaze settle onto the downtown skyline. "I'm really beginning to hate this whole concept of fate," she continued. "I just wish that my friends and I could choose what we wanted to happen."

He stood next to her in silence for a few moments, then looked at her solemnly.

"What if I told you that you could change your fate?" His voice was slow, deliberate. "Make things happen the way that you want them to. The way you choose. What would you do?"

Cassie laughed. He couldn't be serious.

"I'd do anything," she said.

"Really?" he asked. His white eyebrows were raised. "You would _give_ anything?"

"Yeah," Cassie nodded. "I _really_ would."

He laughed then, flashing her a brilliant smile. "Who knows," he shrugged. "Maybe your luck will change."

"Oh, you think so?" Cassie joked, grinning back at him.

"Just follow the signs," he replied. His black eyes were mysterious.

"The signs?" What the heck was that supposed to mean?

"Yep," he nodded. "They're all around you."

OK, now he was really getting strange.

"Are you religious or something? Are you trying to tell me that you believe in God or some sort of higher being?" Cassie was bewildered.

He chuckled. "Oh, I definitely believe in God," he answered. "But I'm not one for religion."

_Could have fooled me_, thought Cassie. He definitely sounded religious with all his talk about signs. Or crazy. One of the two.

"Well, I'd better get back to my friends," Cassie said, effectively ending their little chat. "It's been nice talking to you."

She left him standing there on the balcony, with his black clothing fading into the night.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

Alanna99: I'm glad you thought the plot twist was believable. That's one of my main goals. Thanks for the review!

-2d2la-: I'm really flattered that you loved the story so much! It definitely motivated me to write more this week. I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Thanks for the review!

Lady of Masbolle: Thanks for the review and for the compliment about my writing. I'm trying to improve it all the time. I'm glad you thought the last chapter was intriguing. I was hoping it would be.

Emmie4348: I'm really glad that you are looking forward to the story. It's always nice to know that someone wants to read what you've posted. Thanks!

Faefay: I couldn't resist throwing that "buy the book" line in there. It's a saying that I love. I'm glad that you think I'm staying in character, I'm trying my best. Also glad to hear that you like the pacing. I'm trying not to rush things. We'll see how that goes. Thanks again for the review!

Sparkle63: I'm glad you liked the interaction with Cassie's friends. I, too, thought it showed how much she had changed. About Nick's perspective--I am hoping to put in something from his point of view in the future, but we'll have to see as to when and where. (I haven't made up my mind yet.) Thanks again for the review! I hope you enjoy the rest!

**A/N**: I found a few typos in chapter 8 that are irking me, so I will be reposting/fixing that later today.

* * *

"Cassie, you're not going to believe who is headed this way," Miriam announced. The blonde's eyes were wide as she spotted someone in the thick crowd. 

"Who?" Cassie asked, glancing around the darkened club to see who she was referring to.

"Brett Sandridge!" Miriam exclaimed, just as Cassie's eyes landed on a tall figure approaching them.

"You had a crush on him for years," Beth recalled, with a teasing grin.

"Well, who didn't?" muttered Cassie, slightly embarrassed. Brett Sandridge had only been the most popular guy at their school. Tall with blond hair and blue eyes, he had an All-American boy charm and was the star athlete at Reseda High.

It was common knowledge that every girl wanted to date Brett Sandridge. In fact, every guy wanted to _be_ Brett Sandridge. He was like a celebrity.

It was true that he had been Cassie's biggest crush, but he hadn't even known that she existed. They had traveled in very distant social circles. He was a member of the A-list, and she, well... did she even have a list back then? Although she had been in several of the same classes as Brett, he had never even spoken to her before.

While Cassie had to admit that Brett wasn't as attractive as Adam or Nick, her heart still picked up as he walked toward her. She couldn't help it. It was _Brett Sandridge_, for goodness sakes! And he was coming over to talk to her! She had been dreaming about this moment since the sixth grade.

_Try to stay calm_, she told herself. _You are not that same girl you used to be. You are strong and you are confident. You can do this._

Brett smiled at her when he reached their table. He scarcely acknowledged the other girls. They could have been invisible for all he cared. Cassie had his complete attention.

"Cathy, right?" he asked.

Cassie felt her face flush. "Actually, no, it's Cassie," she corrected.

"Oh," he responded flatly. Cassie got the feeling he hadn't really heard what she'd said. His eyes were busy roving over her body, pausing on her legs and then her chest.

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. The way he was looking at her made her feel sort of icky.

This was _not_ how Brett Sandridge acted in all of her fantasies.

It was something that she'd imagined hundreds of times. Cassie could recall the scene by heart. He was supposed to come up to her completely mesmerized, and while gazing down at her with his beautiful blue eyes, he would gently extend a hand and offer her a dance. Then he would whisk her away to their own little world where he would tell her how fantastic he thought she was.

In reality, Brett Sandridge was standing in front of her with a cocky, self-satisfied grin on his face. Apparently, he liked what he saw and figured he could have it. He was _Brett Sandridge_, after all. He knew that if he asked her to dance she would say yes.

"Well, do you want to dance or not, baby?" The request was smug. It didn't really even sound like a question, since he had already assumed the answer. He looked at her impatiently.

Part of Cassie was tempted to say no since he sounded like such an arrogant prick, but another part of Cassie was saying _Brett Sandridge just asked you to dance! Brett Sandridge!_

Eventually her childhood fantasy won out. What the hell, right? It was just one dance. Even if he was a complete jerk in real life, she had been dreaming of this moment for so long that she simply couldn't refuse.

Miriam, Beth, and Clover watched with noticeable envy as Brett lead Cassie off onto the dance floor.

"If someone would have told me last year that this would happen, I never would have believed them," remarked Clover, shaking her head slightly.

"If someone had told me this _last week_, I never would have believed them," laughed Beth. "But then again, I didn't know Cassie would show up on my doorstep looking like a model."

"She is so lucky," sighed Miriam, settling back in her seat. She sounded glum. "It's like I'm happy for her and all, but at the same time I'm kind of jealous."

"Don't worry about it, Mir," said Beth. "If it's any consolation, I thought Mr. Popular sounded like an ass."

Miriam couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, he totally did."

* * *

The song had a fast beat and Cassie had to admit she was enjoying herself. Brett was a good dancer and it was fun to just let loose and go with the rhythm. 

Cassie caught a glimpse of several people staring at them from the sidelines. She imagined that they were wondering who she was. While some of them simply looked curious, others were looking mad or jealous. Cassie tried her best to ignore them.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a blond head moving behind the crowd of onlookers. Cassie paused and did a double take, but she didn't see it anymore.

_Nah, it couldn't have been_, she told herself. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her or something. For a second she actually thought she had seen one of the Henderson brothers. It had to have been her imagination.

"Hey, I'm over here," Brett complained, trying to get her attention.

Cassie turned her gaze back on him. The song changed to a slow tune and she allowed herself to be pulled into his arms.

_OK, so maybe one more dance wouldn't hurt_, she thought to herself.

However, Brett was holding her a little too close for comfort. She wriggled away from him bit, giving them some space between their bodies.

"Where are you going?" he muttered with a grin. He yanked her back against his chest. Cassie was pressed all the way against him now, with his muscular arms wrapped around her lower back. She tried to pull away from him again, but it was no use. He was much too strong and he was clasping her firmly.

He must have thought it was some sort of game because he chuckled softly to himself. "You don't have to play hard to get," he told her.

"I'm not," she replied, "I just want a little room."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Fine," he replied, as he backed off a few inches.

For a brief moment, Cassie actually thought he might behave himself, but then she felt his hands start to roam. She tried to pull away from him again, but he tugged her closer to him and cupped her backside.

"Stop it!" Cassie cried out. She pushed against his chest hard with both hands, but he resisted.

"What's the matter, baby? You don't like this?" he murmured.

The arrogant jerk acted like she was flirting with him or something. One of his hands was still gripping her butt, while the other was slowly rubbing her side. To her horror, the hand on her side began to travel up toward her chest.

"Let me go!" hissed Cassie, as she frantically tried to jerk away from him. She couldn't believe this. He was blatantly groping her.

Suddenly a fist came out of nowhere and struck Brett in the face. It knocked him all the way to the floor.

Cassie, who was released from Brett's grasp when he fell, watched in stunned silence as a dark haired figure followed Brett to the ground and continued to pummel him with his fists.

It was funny. It almost looked like...

Cassie's jaw dropped open.

_Nick_.

* * *

Brett was struggling in vain to fight back, but Nick was completely dominating him. Mere seconds had passed and Brett's All-American good looks were already smeared with blood. Nick's handsome jaw was clinched with anger. He didn't have a scratch on him and wasn't showing any sign of slowing down. 

Cassie was suddenly afraid that he might kill the other boy.

"Nick, stop it!" she cried out. But it was no use. If he heard her, he didn't act like it.

To her astonishment, she noticed the Henderson brothers standing off to the side cheering him on loudly. Cassie gaped at them.

Seconds later several bouncers pushed through the crowd and immediately grabbed at Nick. He resisted their efforts and continued to swing at Brett. It took three large men to finally pry him off of the blond boy.

The Henderson brothers were still cheering wildly.

"Alright, Nick!" Chris yelled.

"You kicked his ass!" Doug shouted. "It was awesome!"

Nick, however, wasn't smiling. His handsome face had recovered its perfect composure, but his dark eyes were intense. He was glaring at Brett like he wanted to start pounding on him again. The bouncers were still holding him back.

"Touch her again and I'll kill you," Nick threatened. His voice sounded cold and lethal. From the look in his eyes, Cassie believed him.

Across from Nick, Brett was stumbling to his feet with the help of two bouncers. Blood was dripping from both his mouth and his nose. One of his eyes was starting to get puffy. His gaze shifted around the room with embarrassment, while the crowd stared back in amazement at their fallen hero.

Some people were shaking their heads at him. Others were scowling at him like he was a jerk. It was obvious that they had witnessed the whole thing.

"I swear, man, I didn't know she was your girlfriend," Brett sputtered weakly, as the bouncers forced him and Nick toward opposite exit doors.

Cassie could feel hundreds of eyes on her as she hurried after Nick with the Henderson brothers at her heels.

* * *

They caught up with Nick outside the main doors of the club. The bouncers had just released him on the sidewalk and warned him to stay out of their club. 

"What are you guys doing here?" Cassie gasped, looking from one boy to the next.

"We came to rescue you," Chris answered happily.

"Yeah, we were on a mission," Doug said with a grin.

"You came 'to rescue' me?" Cassie repeated in disbelief. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"You ran away," Chris explained, "so we were coming to save you."

"_Save me_? I didn't need to be saved," Cassie paused and shook her head. "I called my mom and told her that I was alright and that I would be flying back next week. She never told you guys that?"

Doug and Chris looked puzzled by this. They shrugged at each other, not knowing how to respond.

"We must have left before you called her," Nick said simply.

Cassie frowned. That didn't make sense. "I called her like two days ago."

Nick just looked at her blankly, his mahogany eyes reflecting the streetlights overhead.

Realization suddenly dawned on Cassie. "Wait a second. You mean you guys _drove_ here from Massachusetts? Are you crazy?"

"We were worried about you," Nick replied defensively. "You just ran off. No one knew what to think. What were we supposed to do?"

"So you _drove_ here from _Massachusetts_?" Cassie repeated incredulously, her eyes wide. She still couldn't believe it. This was outrageous. They had driven that entire way just because of her.

Wait a second. They had driven that entire way _just because of her_. All of this had been for her.

Something began tugging at Cassie's heart. They had been worried about her. Nick was right, she had just run off. What were they supposed to have done?

_I have to be the world's biggest jerk_, Cassie thought to herself. _How could I have been so selfish?_ Pangs of guilt were starting to eat away at her.

"I'm _so_ sorry, you guys. You didn't have to go through all of that trouble, really. It must have taken you forever." Cassie shook her head slowly, sending her long waves tumbling around her shoulders.

"Forty-five hours," Chris said proudly. He flashed her a wicked grin.

"What?" Cassie asked, glancing at him.

"That's how long it took," he answered. "We drove straight through in shifts."

"And broke some major speed limits," Doug bragged.

"We do that anyway," laughed Chris, "but this time it was for you."

Cassie couldn't help but laugh in return. Then she pulled Chris and Doug into a hug. "Thanks," she told them.

Then she looked over at Nick. "Maybe I did need a little rescuing, after all," she said sheepishly. "Thanks for saving me in there." She nodded toward the club. Then she leaned forward and embraced him tightly.

"Anytime," he replied coolly.

As Cassie pulled away from him, she noticed that they had an audience. Miriam, Clover, and Beth were standing on the steps of the club, watching them with interest. She'd deal with them in a minute.

In the meanwhile, Cassie turned her focus back to Nick. "About the other night..." she began, not quite meeting his eyes. She didn't know where to start.

"Don't worry about it." He shrugged. "I knew you were under the influence of something. The real you would never act like that." He gave her a wry smile.

Cassie looked up at him gratefully. "Thanks," she whispered.

Nick Armstrong really _was_ something special.

* * *

"My life is crazy," Cassie sighed, as she flopped onto the purple sleeping bag that Beth had lent her. 

"I think I'd have to agree," Beth commented. The curly haired girl was sitting on top of her bed wearing polka dot pajamas.

It was midnight and the girls were all staying over at Beth's house again. After a round of introductions outside of the The Raven, it was decided that Nick and the Hendersons would stay the night in the Staunton's downstairs family room. As to be expected, Beth's hippie parents didn't mind at all.

"And here we were all thinking how lucky you were to dance with Brett," scoffed Clover, shaking her head.

Cassie resisted the impulse to gag. What a jerk Brett had been. Just the thought of him disgusted her.

"I swear though, when I saw that gorgeous guy come rushing over to save you, I thought I was going to faint," Miriam confessed. "Nick has to be one of the best looking guys I've _ever_ seen."

"Yeah, he is pretty handsome, isn't he?" Cassie said, recalling the first time that she had ever seen him. He had been standing outside the side entrance of New Salem High with Faye, Deborah, and some of the others. He had looked so coldly beautiful, like a perfectly carved ice sculpture.

"How did they know where to find you?" asked Clover. She was sitting across from Cassie on her own sleeping bag and braiding Miriam's blond locks.

"Nick said they got a list of my friend's names and addresses and went house to house. Beth's mom told him that I was staying here and that we went out to The Raven," explained Cassie.

"I think it was an incredibly devoted for him to drive all the way out here," sighed Miriam dreamily. "Especially after you broke up with him and everything. I guess he's worked his feelings out for that other girl already."

"Oh, no," Cassie shook her head. "You've got things all wrong. That was Adam."

The other girls were looking confused.

"I broke up with Adam before I came out here. He's the one I was telling you about, not Nick," Cassie elaborated.

"Wait a second, you mean that Nick is _not _your ex-boyfriend?" Miriam looked shocked.

Cassie bit her lip. "Well, technically he _is_ my ex-boyfriend," she said, "but not the one I was telling you about the other night."

"What?" gasped Beth. "Are you telling me that you have some other good looking guy after you, too?"

Cassie nodded self-consciously. She could feel the color coming to her cheeks. "I guess so."

"Man, Cassie, I'm beginning to hate you," said Miriam, rolling her green eyes. "You've only been out there one semester and you already have the guys lined up to go out with you."

"That's not true," protested Cassie. "I've only dated Nick and Adam."

"So, this Adam guy, is he as gorgeous as Nick?" Clover asked.

"He's really handsome," Cassie replied as she pictured Adam in her mind. "But if I had to pick, I'd say Nick is slightly better looking."

Funny how she'd never really thought about it before.

"So why'd you break up? You and Nick, I mean," Beth clarified.

"I had feelings for Adam. I didn't think it was fair to lead him on," answered Cassie, feeling awkward. "Nick's a great guy though."

"He must be," agreed Clover, "He came all the way out here to make sure that you were alright."

"And he totally beat up Brett Sandridge for groping you," Miriam chimed. "Talk about a sexy hero. He can come and save me any day." She sighed dramatically.

Cassie and the other girls laughed.

"So you dumped Nick for Adam, only to find that Adam still had feelings for some other girl?" Beth asked after a minute.

"Yeah, basically," Cassie responded.

"Well, it sounds like Adam doesn't know a good thing when he has it," Beth said decisively. "Nick, on the other hand, obviously still cares about you. Otherwise he wouldn't have come all this way. For what it's worth, I think you should give him another shot."

"Yeah," agreed Miriam, "Nick totally has my vote."

"Mine, too," nodded Clover.

Cassie sighed. "It's not that simple you guys. Things are really complicated. Believe me."

She couldn't just start going out with Nick again. Adam was her soulmate. Even if Adam did have feelings for Diana, she couldn't help loving him. It was her fate.

"Well, all I know is that there's a _really_ hot guy downstairs who wants you," Miriam said. "I _wish_ I had that problem."

"Like I said, it's complicated," Cassie replied, wishing they could talk about something else.

"Love is always complicated." Beth smiled at her. "If it wasn't, it wouldn't be worth it in the end."

Somehow Cassie had the feeling she was right.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really love hearing what you all think!

Sorry this update took a little while, but it's a little bit longer than the other chapters. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Darkness was everywhere. It was surrounding her. Suffocating her. Making her weak. 

Cassie was struggling to breathe. They had to find her. If they could just find her...

She was running hard, her long hair whipping behind her in every direction. The shadows were closing in around her. If she slowed for even a second, they would swallow her whole.

A faint glow loomed ahead in the distance. A sole spark of light in a world full of blackness. Cassie sprinted towards it with all of her might.

The golden haze grew bigger and brighter as she neared. She could see a tall figure inside the yellow mist. It was a boy with wine colored hair.

"Adam!" she called frantically, finally reaching the light.

He turned to look at her, his eyes a dark midnight blue. Then he gazed past her into the blackness with a solemn expression.

"Oh, Cassie," he sighed softly. His voice was full of sadness. "What did you do?"

His face was so full of disappointment that Cassie's insides began to ache. It was as if he was hurt or ashamed of her.

_I didn't do anything! _Cassie wanted to respond, but when she tried to open her mouth she found that her jaw wouldn't move.

Adam was shaking his head at her. Then he began to step forward into the everlasting darkness.

Suddenly Cassie's jaw could work and she found her voice at last. "No, Adam! Don't go out there! It's not safe!" She grabbed at his arms and tried desperately to hold him back.

He paused momentarily in his steps.

"I love you, Cassie," he said to her. "But this is my destiny." He reached down and unclasped her hands from him. Then he turned one hand over and kissed it, just the way he had when they first met on Cape Cod. He released it with a gentle squeeze and disappeared into the blackness.

Cassie stared after him. Hot tears were stinging her eyes.

Cruel laughter rang out. Cassie spun around to see Portia standing behind her in the golden light. The yellow haired girl was grinning with malicious glee.

"I warned you that you would pay," Portia smirked. "Should have known you couldn't handle the price." The she tossed her head back and laughed wickedly.

It sounded like glass breaking. It was painful. Cassie winced and covered her ears.

Suddenly, the mist around them began to dissipate. Cassie was starting to see grass under her feet and tall, barren trees in the distance.

As Portia's laughter faded, Cassie began to run again. She was outside now, in a small meadow or clearing, surrounded by thick woods. The sky above was gray and angry, filled with clouds that were threatening a downpour.

As Cassie crested a small hill, she realized where she was at last. She was in the old cemetery off of Crowhaven Road. The place where many parents of her fellow coven members were buried.

She raced through the barrage of graves, heading towards Crowhaven Road and her house. As she rounded the last row of headstones her toe clipped something hard and she stumbled to the ground.

Wincing in pain, Cassie hurriedly scrambled to her feet.

Then she froze.

She stared in horror at the smooth granite headstone in front of her. The name carved into the gray rock burned into her consciousness.

_Nicholas Armstrong, Jr._

_No_, Cassie gasped, shaking her head. _No. NO!_

Prophecy or no prophecy, she wouldn't believe this. She simply couldn't.

"_No_!" she yelled up at the sky, to the Fates, to the Heavens, to whomever was listening. "_No_! It's not _fair_!"

A loud crack of thunder answered in response. Lightening tore through the sky next, followed by a torrential onslaught of rain.

Cassie fell to her knees in front of the stone. Heavy drops of rain pounded against her flesh, drenching her.

"_No_!" she screamed again.

Cassie trembled as tears began to fall. They blurred her vision and mixed with the cold rain on her cheeks. She could feel her knees sinking into the wet sod below, the mud seeping into her jeans. She collapsed into uncontrollable sobs, tormented by grief, anger, and disbelief.

Then everything faded to blackness.

* * *

Cassie awoke with a start. She blinked a few times, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the bright light. 

A sigh of relief flowed through her. It had all been a nightmare. None of it had been real.

She was sitting in the backseat of Nick's car, exactly where she had fallen asleep a few hours ago. Only now, Chris wasn't sitting beside her anymore and the car was no longer in motion. In fact, no one was in the car besides her. She was alone.

Cassie leaned forward in her seat and frowned. The hood of the car was up, blocking the view from the windshield. Cassie glanced out of the side windows of the car. From the looks of things, she gathered that they were at a service station of some kind. There was snow on the ground outside.

She had no idea where they were. They had left Reseda yesterday afternoon intending to drive straight through to Massachusetts in shifts. Cassie last remembered being in Colorado.

Stifling a yawn, Cassie pulled on her coat and stepped out of the car. Nick and the Hendersons were standing in front of the vehicle peering under the hood. Nick had a hard look on his face, while Chris and Doug wore tight lipped frowns.

"What's going on, guys?" Cassie asked.

"Problem with the fuel pump," sighed Nick, looking frustrated.

"Oh," muttered Cassie. _Is that bad?_ she thought, but didn't want to ask. From the looks on the boys' faces, there was a serious problem.

"I'll be back in a minute," Nick said, as he headed inside the service station. Cassie could see him through the large plate glass windows, talking to two guys inside.

"Where are we?" Cassie glanced around again, taking note of the quaint small town setting. It looked like Mayberry. Or something from _Little House on the Prairie_. Small buildings dotted the landscape, which was mostly flat. A two lane road ran through the middle of the tiny downtown area.

"Nebraska," answered Doug, as he strummed his fingers along the roof of the car. He looked tired. "We were just cruisin' along when the car started stallin' out. We had to pull over."

Cassie nodded, continuing to observe their surroundings.

"Yeah, now we're stuck here in the middle of nowhere," groaned Chris loudly. He rolled his blue-green eyes. "What do they do for fun around here anyway? Tip cows?"

Cassie felt her face flush as a customer filling up his gas tank looked over at them sharply. She had the feeling they already stood out around here. They didn't need to insult anybody.

"Can Nick fix it?" Cassie changed the subject, nodding towards the car.

Doug shook his head. "It's a pretty big job. Even if we had the time, all of his tools are back home. The guys here aren't gonna let him use their stuff."

_Great_, thought Cassie sarcastically.

Nick returned a few minutes later. "Well, the good news is that they do have the right parts. The bad news is that they won't be able to get to it until tomorrow morning," he informed them.

"So I guess we're gonna be stayin' here tonight," Chris muttered. He sounded less than thrilled.

Nick nodded. "They said there's a small motel up the street. It's the only one in town."

"Well, let's get movin'," suggested Doug. "No sense standin' around."

* * *

The Sherwood Inn was a small brick motel with a bright neon sign that said vacancy. It looked a little outdated, but wasn't quite run down. The sign advertised free cable and clean rooms for forty-nine dollars a night. 

The entire place didn't look that appealing to Cassie, but like Nick said it _was_ the only motel nearby. They really didn't have any other choice.

They also didn't have a lot of money. They were looking at least six hundred dollars worth of car repairs, plus the cost of gas and food until they got back home. There hadn't been enough cash to spare for two rooms.

"Sorry, Cassie. It looks like you're one of the guys tonight," chuckled Doug as they walked down the sidewalk toward their assigned room.

Cassie shrugged like she didn't care, but inside she was a little miffed. After being cramped in a car with three boys for almost twenty-four hours, she had been hoping to get just a little bit of privacy. _Oh, well_, she thought with a sigh.

"Maybe it's like The Bates Motel," joked Chris. "And Norman's just waitin' to get us when we're in the shower."

"Sounds pleasant, Chris. Thanks for that idea," Cassie remarked sarcastically. "I'm sure that thoughts of a psycho killer will be _really_ comforting when I'm trying to sleep tonight."

"Well, that's alright, Cassie," Doug said as they reached the door. He leaned against the brick wall and grinned at her wickedly. "You can sleep in my bed. I'll comfort you."

Cassie rolled her eyes at him, stifling a groan.

Nick paused with the room key in the lock. He shot Doug a look that said he was _not_ amused.

"Cassie gets her own bed," he said flatly.

"It was a joke, Nick," Doug scowled, following the dark haired boy into the motel room.

"Not funny," Nick replied. He tossed his bag down on the carpet.

The room contained two full-sized beds, a small table with two chairs, and a television. While it didn't contain the newest or the most stylish furnishings, it was cleaner than Cassie had hoped. She sighed a breath of relief. Then she stared at the two beds thoughtfully.

"But if I have a bed to myself, that means someone is going to have to sleep on the floor," Cassie noted, feeling a little bad. Wasn't that kind of unfair?

"I'll sleep on the floor." Nick shrugged casually.

"Nick, you can't do that," exclaimed Cassie. "You drove for hours today."

"It's no big deal," he told her. "Besides, there's no way in hell I'm sleeping with Doug or Chris."

Neither Doug nor Chris looked offended by this at all. Cassie supposed that it was a guy thing. Apparently, it was acceptable to share a bed with your brother, but not with any other guy.

Cassie resisted the urge to sigh. Men could be so petty sometimes.

"Well, you take the bed and I'll take the floor," Cassie suggested. "I don't mind, really." The guys had driven all that way for her. The least she could do was let them have the beds.

"No," Nick said, his dark eyes locking on hers. His expression was firm. "You're sleeping in a bed and that's it."

"Fine," Cassie groaned. While she did appreciate his concern for her, Nick could be so stubborn sometimes.

She flopped onto one of the beds and picked up the phone on the nightstand. "I'm going to call home and let them know we're going to be a little late."

* * *

"Full house, suckers," gloated Chris as he smashed his cards down on the table. 

"Aw, man," sighed Doug. "I don't have shit." He tossed his cards on the table angrily.

"Pair of eights. You got me," Nick said, revealing his hand.

With a laugh Chris swept the pile of cigarettes from the middle of the table, adding them to his own stash.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nick saw Cassie hang up the phone. She sat there on the bed for a moment, lost in thought, twisting a strand of her shoulder-length hair. There was a worried look in her eyes.

Something was wrong.

"Everything alright back home?" Nick called over to her.

"No," Cassie answered, shaking her head. She looked up at him, her beautiful blue eyes were wide. "Adam's sick."

"What?" asked Chris. The Henderson brothers exchanged glances.

"I just got off of the phone with Melanie. She thinks Adam caught whatever Diana has." Cassie's voice broke off. She sounded pretty upset.

"How? Is anyone else sick?" Doug questioned.

"No one else is sick," Cassie replied. "So far, anyway. Melanie thinks Adam caught whatever Diana has because he was around her the most." She paused. "Mel said it's not life-threatening, but it's pretty bad."

_Leave it to Conant to complicate things_, thought Nick dryly. While Nick truly didn't wish the other boy to suffer, Adam certainly had a knack for making Cassie's life more difficult.

It pissed Nick off just to think about it.

_If it hadn't been for Conant and his stupid 'competing destiny' bullshit, Cassie wouldn't have run off in the first place_.

He could feel the dark anger rising inside of him. That destiny crap wasn't fair, anyway. But then again, Nick was used to getting the short end of the stick, especially compared to Conant.

Adam was told that he was not only destined to be with Cassie, the one girl Nick was crazy about, but also with beautiful and flawless Diana. What type of guy had that kind of luck?

Apparently not Nick Armstrong. According to the Oracle, he had a date with death to look forward to and the clock was ticking. His future was so bright, wasn't it?

On the other hand, who knew? There was the possibility that all the Oracle stuff was bullshit. But if the past was any indication of the future, things were looking grim.

The good stuff was never in Nick's cards. And somehow Adam always seemed to walk around with aces up his sleeve.

It was enough to make you puke.

Suddenly Nick found that he just didn't have any sympathy for Adam and his illness. Not this time.

Nick looked over at Cassie and shrugged. "He'll get over it."

* * *

Cassie had never seen so many wannabe cowboys in her entire life. They were dressed complete with leather boots, shiny belt buckles, and Stetson hats. The only things that were missing were spurs and six-shooters. 

Growing up in California, Cassie really hadn't been exposed to this type of lifestyle. She forced herself to look away from the men standing at the bar and tried to focus on whatever Doug was saying. They were at a place called "Melinda's", which was situated just a few blocks down from their motel.

Originally after hearing how sick Adam was, Cassie really hadn't been in the mood to go anywhere. She had spent most of the evening worrying silently about both him and Diana.

Chris and Doug, however, were like two caged animals after a few hours. They weren't content with sitting around in the motel room the whole night. They wanted to get out and do something and their mounting frustration had put Cassie even more on edge. Eventually she decided it _would_ be a good idea to get out for a bit.

The problem was that there wasn't anything to do. Out of lack of a better option, they ended up here--sitting in a vinyl booth in the dimly lit honky-tonk.

The wannabe cowboys and other patrons of the bar had stared at them when they first arrived. It was like a scene from a movie: a stranger walks into a crowded place and the music screeches to a halt, everyone turning to look. Except this time, the loud country melody continued to emanate from the jukebox as people gawked at them.

Cassie couldn't really blame them for their curious glances. She and the guys were definitely out of their element here.

As it turned out, none of the guys were carded, so they each ordered a beer and tried to relax. Cassie, on the other hand, ordered a soda and tried not to gag with all the cigarette smoke in the air.

At the moment, Doug was talking about the new album of some rock band she had never heard of. Cassie tried to listen, but her thoughts kept returning to Adam. She hoped he was alright. Diana, too. She never should have left New Salem.

She hadn't realized that she was frowning until Chris said, "Don't be sad, Cassie."

She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his blue-green ones. She forced a faint smile. "I'm trying not to be," she answered.

"You alright?" Nick asked from beside her.

Cassie nodded. "Perfectly fine," she lied.

His mahogany eyes didn't look convinced, but he let it go.

"We could show you how to play pool," Doug suggested.

"Yeah, let's do that," Chris agreed eagerly.

Cassie shook her head at them. "You guys go ahead and play. I just want to sit for a while, if that's alright."

The twins looked a little disappointed, but they headed off to the other side of the bar in search of an open billiards table.

"So..." sighed Cassie, looking over at Nick. Since they had broken up the month before, they really hadn't spent much time alone together. Cassie felt a little awkward.

"So..." he said, gazing down at his drink.

"You didn't want to play pool with Chris and Doug?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

"Not really," he shrugged. His handsome face looked indifferent.

"Oh," she replied. Her eyes flicked about the room, noting several people who were watching them. "Do you see all the people staring over here? We stick out like sore thumbs." She laughed.

Nick looked up at her, his dark eyes amused. Then he slowly shook his head. "That's not why they're looking over here," he said. "They're staring at _you_."

"Don't be silly," Cassie responded, rolling her eyes at him. But as she took another glance around the room, she noticed he was right. There were several men openly checking her out. Most of them were middle-aged, but a few were younger. Some were gaping at her like they'd never seen a woman before.

_Note to self: tone down on Suzan's beauty advice_, she thought. As flattering as it was at first, all of this attention was really getting old.

"I'm not being silly. It's the truth and you know it." Nick's voice carried a hint of humor. "If I wasn't sitting right next to you, they'd all be over here hounding you for a dance."

"Oh, is that right?" Cassie asked playfully.

He nodded at her. "Yep," he answered, trying his best to sound serious.

"Well, then I guess it was a good thing you didn't run off with Chris and Doug," Cassie teased. "I mean, because if one of those guys decided to bother me, who on earth would beat him up?"

"Hey, it's a tough job," he teased in return. "But someone's got to do it."

"Do they?" Cassie raised an eyebrow at him. This question was a serious one.

"Don't worry," Nick said, lifting his hands in a surrender. "I know you can take care of yourself. You're tougher than you look."

"So you just sit here as a deterrent because...?" Cassie's voice trailed off.

"Maybe I don't like to see you get hassled," he replied.

Somewhere inside Cassie wondered if there was more to it than just that.

Nick's blank expression was unreadable.

Cassie was about to ask Nick something else, when she heard raised voices coming from the back end of the bar. From their location they couldn't see what was going on, but the crack of glass breaking rang out over the music, followed by several large thuds. It sounded like a fight.

Nick and Cassie exchanged knowing glances.

"Chris and Doug," she groaned.

"We should have known better," Nick sighed.

* * *

"Can't we go anywhere without one of you guys getting into a fight?" Cassie murmured to Nick. The Henderson brothers had just been tossed out onto the sidewalk by a three-hundred pound bartender and five or six guys that looked like they belonged in that old Patrick Swayze movie,_ Roadhouse_. 

She and Nick were making their way through the crowd, trying to get to an exit.

"Aw, c'mon, Cass, what's a night out on the town without a couple of black eyes and a busted lip?" Nick joked.

"Sounds romantic," Cassie replied in turn, "but I'm more of a 'dinner and a movie' type of girl."

Nick grinned in response, and as usual, Cassie couldn't resist smiling back. He always had that effect on her. She didn't know why. She supposed it was because he didn't smile that often.

They met up with the Henderson brothers outside of Melinda's a few seconds later. Luckily, neither boy was injured badly. Chris barely had a scratch on him, while Doug only had a split lip.

As they walked down Main Street towards their motel, the twins started to bicker loudly over the cause of the fight.

"Well, you were the one who called that guy's girlfriend a fat freakin' cow!" Chris exclaimed, shoving Doug in the side.

"And you're the one who stole his beer!" Doug punched at Chris' shoulder.

Cassie sighed. _Here we go again..._

"Shut up," Nick said. "Both of you."

"You shut up," Doug growled.

Nick gave him a sharp look, as if saying '_you want to make me?_'

Cassie was about to say '_please, no more fighting, guys'_ when the toe of her shoe clipped an uneven break in the sidewalk. She sprawled to the ground, catching herself on her hands and knees.

The boys immediately turned to see if she was alright, their quarrel forgotten.

"I'm fine," she answered, dusting off her clothes. "I just tripped, that's all."

"The signs are all around you," muttered Chris.

"What?" Cassie looked up at him, confused.

He pointed to the two-story brick building that was standing behind her. In a well-lit first floor window there was a hand-painted sign. It read '_the signs are all around you_' in a fancy, old English script.

Cassie stared. Something flickered in the back of her mind.

A shock of blond spiky hair. Eyes as black as midnight. The face of an angel.

Bastian.

"_Just follow the signs."_ The punk's smooth voice floated through her head. _"They're all around you."_

She had practically forgotten about the handsome stranger and their odd conversation until just now. Cassie had simply written him off as a weirdo. But as she stared at the sign in the window, she wasn't so sure anymore.

There was a tingling sensation on the back of her neck.

Was it just a coincidence? Or was there actual meaning to Bastian's words?

"Is something wrong, Cass?" Nick was eying her with concern.

Cassie tore her gaze away from the sign. "No, of course not. Everything's just fine," she replied, trying to sound casual.

"Well, let's go then," Doug said with a shrug.

Throughout the entire walk to the motel, a nagging thought plagued Cassie's mind.

Were they stuck in Nebraska for a reason?


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

A/N: I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update. I was exhausted after the Bar Exam and just didn't feel like doing anything for a while. I hope you all understand. Anyway, thanks for all of your reviews! I've posted responses to the reviews at the end of this chapter.

* * *

_The signs are all around you_. 

The words posted in the downtown window seemed to be etched permanently into Cassie's thoughts. If she closed her eyes she was sure that she would see a bright imprint against the back of her eyelids in the shape of the fancy Old English script.

In her imagination the sign glowed as if it was neon--heck, as if it was radioactive or something. She just couldn't get it out of her head. Or Bastian.

Was it all just a coincidence? Was she making a big deal out of nothing?

_Probably_, she told herself, but the wary voices in her head just wouldn't go away.

_What signs? Is there something I'm supposed to do? Am I missing something?_

Holding back a sigh, Cassie buried her face into one of the lumpy cotton pillows that adorned the bed she was lying in. Out of the corner of one eye she could see the bright red numbers on the digital alarm clock glowing from the nightstand between the two double beds. It was almost one-thirty in the morning.

She could hear the slight murmur of breathing from the bed across from hers. Doug and Chris were two lumps that she could barely make out in the darkened room.

She couldn't see Nick, but she knew he was there. He had insisted on sleeping on the floor and had taken up a spot at the foot of their beds, borrowing an extra blanket and a pillow.

_You're overreacting and it's just keeping you awake_, she scolded herself. _Try to think about something else._

Cassie closed her eyes and tried to let her mind wander. _I'll think of the ocean_, she decided finally. The sound of waves lapping upon the shore usually put her at ease.

Within seconds a picture of a calm New England beach was appearing in her head. The sand itself was dotted with several large rocks and the sky above was streaked with pink and purple hues. It was a brilliant sunrise. A cool breeze was drifting over the water, which was a deep bluish-gray, exactly the color of Adam's eyes.

_Adam._ Cassie's heart fluttered with concern. Adam was seriously ill. Diana, too. And no one knew what was wrong with them yet.

While a large part of Cassie was filled with worry about Adam and Diana's health, there was a slight part of her that was secretly fuming. No one else had gotten sick but Adam. Melanie had thought it was because he had been around Diana the most.

Cassie knew it was wrong to be mad, but she couldn't help feeling somewhat angry and jealous inside. Adam had probably been doing nothing except hanging around Diana's bedside for the last few days. She was sure that he had devoted himself to Diana's every need. No wonder he had gotten sick.

Cassie grimaced. She knew she wasn't being fair, but at the moment it was hard to remain objective. She loved Adam so much, so deeply... If she lost him, she didn't know what she would do. _What happens to soulmates who are apart?_

Suddenly Cassie recalled the conversation she'd had with Melanie the night they had summoned the oracle. Melanie had told her that not all soulmates end up together. 'Too much fire and lightning' or something like that was the cause.

"_The sad thing is that those soulmates--the ones who end up apart, will never feel whole again without one another. They can never find true happiness."_ Melanie had said.

_Never find true happiness?_ Well, that's a scary thought.

In fact, the idea was absolutely terrifying. Adam had to make a choice between her and Diana. And Cassie had to admit that there was a very real chance that he would pick Diana. But if that happened both Cassie and Adam would be doomed to a life of misery.

On the other hand, what if Adam chose her instead of Diana? Were Adam and Diana technically soulmates, too? Would they both be condemned to a life of unhappiness if they were apart?

_Well, they are destined to be together, too_, thought Cassie with a frown. _So probably_.

But Adam had to pick one of them. It was either going to be Diana or her. One way or the other, someone was going to lose.

_This is just so unfair!_

Why did Adam have to have a competing destiny? Why couldn't things just be simple? Why couldn't she and Adam just be together and be happy? Or if that was too much to ask, why couldn't Adam choose Diana without robbing Cassie's future of any bliss? Why did there have to be all of these cosmic repercussions?

How could fate be so cruel?

_I wish Adam had no competing destiny at all_. Cassie gritted her teeth. _If I could change this awful fate I would_.

Hang on a second. Changing fate--wasn't that what she had asked Bastian about the other night? What if he wasn't so crazy after all?

_He told me my luck might change_, she thought. _What if he's right? What if he's psychic or something?_ _Maybe I'll actually find one of those rare individuals who has the ability to change fate._

She certainly hoped so. But how?

The answer came to her immediately. _Follow the signs_. Duh. She was a _real_ genius.

"The signs are all around you," she whispered to herself. Here she was back to square one again. Maybe they really _were_ stuck in Nebraska for a reason. The car breaking down here could have been a sign. Heck, tripping in front of the building with the sign in the window could have a been one.

Before Cassie knew it, she was sliding out of bed and trying to be as quiet as possible while she grabbed her duffel bag and headed into the tiny bathroom. Quickly she changed out of her pajamas and into a pair of jeans and sweatshirt, then she pulled on her sneakers and her coat.

It was true that all of this could just be a coincidence and Bastian could simply be some crackpot off the street, but something inside Cassie was saying differently. Some instinct of hers was telling her to go downtown and have another look at that sign.

It was important. She could feel it. That was why she hadn't been able to sleep. She needed to go _now_.

She was halfway to the door when she realized that if she left, the door would lock automatically behind her and she would be unable to get back inside. She needed the room key, which was a card that was inserted into the door. She had seen Nick put it in his wallet earlier.

Cassie's eyes trailed over the dim outline of Nick's sleeping form. He was lying on the carpet a few feet away.

_Where did he put his wallet?_

As silently as she could, Cassie tiptoed around Nick and felt the surface top of the dresser beside him. Luck was with her. Her fingers swiftly located the wallet next to the television.

Cassie stole another glance at Nick's shadowy figure while she fumbled with the small, leather object. His breathing was slow and even. Still asleep. Good.

_Please don't wake up while I'm holding this_, Cassie prayed. She really had no desire to explain to Nick why she was standing over him and rifling through his wallet in the middle of the night.

It was too dark in the room to differentiate between any of the cards in the wallet. However, Cassie was pretty sure that she had seen Nick stuff the room key into the large section of the wallet where the bills are placed, instead of any of the typical card slots. Fortunately, that would make finding the right card that much easier.

Cassie deftly flipped through the bills in the large compartment until her fingertips landed on a different shape. It was some sort of small package with a circular ring inside.

Cassie's eyes widened as she realized what it was. She was sure she felt her face flush with embarrassment, too. Then she fussed at herself for being so immature. _So he wants to be prepared--so what? Safe sex is a good thing, right?_

Cassie shrugged to herself and finally located the card key. She pulled it out and then gently replaced the wallet in its original location.

_Besides, just having a condom in your wallet doesn't mean that you're having sex or that you've even had sex. It doesn't mean anything at all, _she thought as she headed toward the door.

But she wasn't convinced.

_Come on, Cassie, do you really think he's that innocent?_ a voice inside her head demanded. _He had an "arrangement" with Faye for goodness sakes! _

What did she _think_ their arrangement was about? Holding hands? Writing secret love poems?

_Grow up, Cass! _

Anyway, why did she even care?

"I _don't_ care," Cassie muttered to herself after she had stepped outside and quietly shut the door behind her.

But, then again, who was she kidding?

* * *

The window that housed the sign was dark. She could still make out the words hanging against the glass, but they seemed to have lost their overall effect. 

Cassie stood in the exact spot where she had fallen earlier and let out a sigh. What had she been expecting? Fireworks?

She didn't know exactly what she had been expecting. But she had been expecting _something_. Something inside of her had been telling her to come here, right to this spot. She'd assumed it had something to do with the sign in the window, but maybe not.

Cassie kicked at a clump of snow with the toe of her sneaker. She still felt like there was something here, something she was failing to see, but she didn't know what.

She glanced around the darkened shops that lined Main Street, but she didn't see anything that stuck out at her.

_Oh, well_, she thought. _I give up_. Maybe it was just a coincidence after all.

Stuffing her freezing hands into her coat pockets, Cassie started back toward the motel. As she neared the end of the first block she noticed a trickle of pink light reflecting against the pavement of the intersecting street.

It wasn't so much of a street, it was more like a narrow alley littered with boxes and garbage cans. Cassie could see the pink light streaming out from beneath a door at the far end of the dim passage.

Somewhere inside she knew this was it. This was the sign she had been looking for.

_Follow the signs, right?_ she thought to herself as she took a deep breath. Gathering her courage, Cassie forced herself to step into the dark alleyway.

There was a slight rustling noise from her left and something small shot out right in front of her feet. Cassie let out a startled gasp. It had been some sort of rodent. _Gross_.

Cassie continued to make her way toward the door with the pink light filtering out, until she finally stood in front of it.

_What now?_ she thought with hesitation. _Should I knock or something?_

Just then the door swung open, revealing a middle-aged woman with long, chestnut hair. Even though it had to be close to two in the morning, the woman was wearing a sage colored dress and looked alert and awake. She gave Cassie a wide smile, the pinkish light dancing over her face.

"I knew you would come," she said softly. Her voice sounded warm and confident.

"You did?" Cassie asked, surprised.

"Of course," the woman responded, motioning for Cassie to step inside.

"But how?" Cassie wondered aloud as she followed the woman into what looked like a used book store. A lamp with a fuchsia shade stood beside the entryway, emitting the pink glow.

"It's a gift," the woman replied, with a slight shrug. "Sort of like a trade secret." She paused in front of a dilapidated bookshelf that was filled with musty, old books and strange looking objects. The she turned to face Cassie. "Now let me look at you," she murmured, placing a hand on Cassie's cheek.

Cassie tried not to squirm as the woman studied her face. After what seemed like several long minutes, the woman exhaled slightly and shook her head.

"You poor child." The woman's warm voice now sounded disappointed. "You think fate has done you a disservice."

"It has," Cassie defended stubbornly. No matter what Adam chose, someone was going to wind up unhappy. It just wasn't fair.

"Do you have it? The power to change fate, I mean?" Cassie asked before she could stop herself.

"Oh, no, child. Not me." The woman was shaking her head again. "No witch does."

Cassie felt herself fill with confusion. So why was she here? Why was she supposed to "follow the signs"? This woman was just an ordinary witch like herself.

As if she could read Cassie's thoughts, the other woman began again. "But I do know what you're looking for," she said.

"You do?" Cassie looked at her uncertainly.

"Oh, yes," the woman nodded. The confident tone was returning.

"But I thought you just said that no witch has the power to change fate?" Cassie was confused. This wasn't making any sense.

"No witch does," the woman explained. "The power is not your own. It's sort of 'borrowed', if you will."

"Borrowed?" Cassie repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, so to speak." The woman paused, searching for the right words. "Not just anyone can use it."

_Ok_, thought Cassie. _Whatever you say, lady._

"Wait right here," the woman told Cassie. "I'll be right back with the things you need." She quickly disappeared into one of the many aisles created by the massive bookshelves. Cassie could hear her rummaging through various boxes and pushing aside objects that rattled.

Minutes later she returned, holding a black velvet tote bag. She thrust the bag into Cassie's arms. Cassie could feel several different shapes inside, some hard and others squishy.

"What's in here?" Cassie unzipped the bag and peeked inside.

"Instructions and most of the ingredients for the two spells that you will need to perform," she answered. "There are a few other ingredients, such as blood and personal effects that you will have to gather yourself, of course."

Cassie looked up from the bag. "What two spells?"

"The first one is the easy one. It's a very strong healing spell. You can use it to make your friends well again. It works on most severe illnesses."

_Wow, this woman must be a strong psychic_, thought Cassie. _I never mentioned that anyone I knew was sick._

"What about the other one?" Cassie asked.

The woman gritted her teeth slightly. "This is the one you are really here for."

Cassie felt herself begin to smile. Maybe there was hope for her future after all.

The other woman did not return Cassie's joy. Instead she leaned forward slightly. There was a look of concern in her dark eyes. "But you must be warned," she said. "This spell is an extremely powerful one. It uses the darkest of magic."

Cassie tried her best to look unaffected by this information.

"You must be sure that you want to do this," the woman told her. Her tone was low and serious.

"I am sure," Cassie replied. She wasn't some wimp anymore. She was Cassie Blake. She was a talented witch. She'd already faced down Black John. She could do _this_. Besides, she didn't have a choice. Her fate was at stake here.

"Invoking this kind of power comes with a price," the woman continued.

"Yeah, I know. 'The more you use the dark arts, the more they use you,'" Cassie quoted.

"Yes," the woman blinked thoughtfully for a moment, staring into the distance. "I suppose you could put it that way."

Cassie shifted uncomfortably. "Well, how much do I owe you?"

The woman led Cassie over to an antique cash register that was located on the other side of the room.

"Thank you," Cassie said politely, as the woman handed over the change.

As their fingers touched, the other woman suddenly froze. Her dark eyes slowly lifted to Cassie's face. Her voice, which had originally sounded confident and warm, was now hollow and mysterious.

"Darkness follows."

* * *

For the reviewers: 

Lady of Masbolle: I'm so glad that you like the story so much! I truly deserve a kick for not updating sooner, but after the Bar Exam I was completely brain dead. I should be updating a lot more regularly now. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Thanks for the review!

Faefay: Thanks for all of your great reviews! I'm hoping to keep the plot moving along nicely. We'll see how it goes...

Alanna99: The Cassie and Nick dynamic is fun, isn't it? But then again, who knows? Maybe she'll end up with Adam... You'll just have to read and find out. LOL Thanks for the review!

-2d2la- I hope you enjoy this next chapter, too! Sorry it's taken me so long to post it! I'm really looking forward to hearing what you think!

Sparkle63: I'm glad you loved seeing Nick's point of view. I threw that in there just for you. Thanks for the review!

Hecate0808, Maile Skye and Sexydreamer: Thanks for the compliments and the reviews! Don't worry, there will be more of this story. I'll try to update more often, I promise!

Goldenshadows: Well, you never know... Cassie may end up with Adam. They are soulmates, right? LOL I guess you'll have to find out. Thanks so much for the review!

Tsapph: I'm thrilled that you love the story so much. I actually started writing this out of frustration because there was a serious lack of Secret Circle fanfiction out there. I'm glad that you didn't think the story felt forced and that you thought it was well-written. I'm really trying to create an interesting plot that is believable and intriguing at the same time. So your opinion really meant a lot to me. Anyway, thanks so much for the review!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

A/N: An update--at last! Thanks for being so patient everyone! I've been really busy with work.

Thanks to all of you that have reviewed! I love hearing what you all think! I've posted some responses to the reviews at the end of this chapter.

* * *

The night wind was brutal. 

The icy gusts of air tore through Cassie's winter jacket and sent shivers down her spine. Every breath she took seemed to sting the inside of her chest.

It definitely hadn't been this cold out when she left the motel earlier. She was sure of it.

It hadn't been this dark either.

It was like something ominous had settled over the town, leaving the night sky devoid of all light. Deep purplish-black clouds loomed overhead, casting an eerie spell over the quaint Nebraska landscape.

Cassie clutched the velvet bag in her hands tightly and made her way down the small, cluttered alley as discarded newspapers rustled and blew past her in the wind. She made it to the intersection of Main Street in a matter of minutes, grateful for the old fashioned street lamps that lined each block.

Every window along Main Street was dark. All the shops and business had long since closed, even Melinda's. The entire town was deserted. The sound of Cassie's footsteps echoed into the night, smothered occasionally by the bursts of wind.

The sooner she got back to the motel, the better. It was absolutely freezing outside. Not to mention spooky.

As Cassie made her way down the sidewalk, something flickered in the window of the jewelry store beside her. She jumped back reflexively, then immediately felt silly. There was nothing on the other side of the plate glass window except for shiny objects that she couldn't afford.

_It was probably just my reflection_, she thought, shrugging it off.

Then she heard the footsteps behind her.

"_Darkness follows."_

Cassie's thoughts immediately returned to the warning she had just been given.

_Darkness follows!_ she repeated to herself.

Oh, God.

Something was coming after her. And it was bad.

She had to get out of here. She had to run. Now.

Cassie sprinted up the sidewalk with all the energy she could muster. If she could just make it to the motel...

To her dismay and growing panic, the footsteps behind her also sped up. They pounded on the sidewalk behind her, closing in with every second that passed.

_He's running after me!_ Cassie's heart pounded heavily in her chest._ Oh my God, I'm not going to make it!_

Cassie screamed as a cold hand settled over her wrist, jerking her to a stop in the darkness.

Dropping her velvet bag, Cassie clawed at her attacker with her free hand. She wasn't going down without a fight. Hell, no. She'd use her powers if she had to.

"FIRE!" Cassie yelled at the top of her lungs, recalling some self-defense advice she'd once seen on _Oprah_. "HELP! FIRE!"

"Ow! Shit! Cassie, stop it!" her attacker hissed, smacking her hand away from his eyes.

"HELP!" Cassie bellowed in panic, as she looked around frantically for help.

"Cassie stop it! It's me." Nick's voice rang out over her shrieks. He was now holding both of her wrists tightly, keeping them a good distance from his face.

"Nick?" Cassie asked, her voice shaky with relief. She looked up at him in shock, her eyes adjusting to the darkness.

"Yeah. Who the hell did you think it was?" He didn't sound amused.

Cassie didn't respond. Instead she leaned against his tall form for a moment, breathing deeply in relief. Nick released her wrists a second later.

"God, you scared the hell out of me," she murmured softly. Then she backed away from him, suddenly furious.

"Where the heck do you get off sneaking up on me like that?" Cassie demanded angrily. "What on earth is wrong with you? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"What is wrong with _me_?" Nick replied, just as pissed. "What's wrong with _you_? You're the one out here in the middle of nowhere at two in the morning! What the hell were you doing out here? Were you running off again?"

"No," answered Cassie defensively. "For your information, I was _not _'running off again'."

"God, Cassie, you almost gave _me_ a heart attack when I woke up and you were gone." He paused and cursed, shaking his head. "Didn't you realize that we would come looking for you?"

"I thought I'd be back before you woke up," Cassie said honestly, her rage dwindling as she realized how worried Nick and the twins must have been. "I guess I didn't really think about it." She paused, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry."

Nick didn't even blink. "You still haven't told me what you were doing out here." He glanced down at the bag she had dropped. Some of its contents had scattered onto the sidewalk. "What the hell is this stuff?"

_The spells!_ Cassie hurried to gather the spell ingredients before Nick could get his hands on them, but she was too late.

He snatched up a small container and peered at the label, squinting in the dim streetlight. "Claws of a black cat killed at midnight," Nick read in disbelief. "What are you doing with _this_?"

Cassie yanked the container away from him and stuffed it into the velvet bag with the rest of the ingredients that had tumbled out.

"It's for a healing spell," Cassie lied, hoping to God that he would believe her. "I realized we had passed a witch's shop earlier and I figured they must have something to help Adam and Diana. And sure enough, the lady there helped me find a spell that should work."

"And you couldn't have waited until tomorrow to get this stuff?"

"I couldn't sleep. I figured I might as well go now," Cassie responded with a shrug. God, she felt like an imbecile.

Nick sighed. "Whatever."

"Look, can we just go back to the motel now? It's really cold out here." Cassie was desperate to get away from his questioning gaze. She wasn't sure that he believed her.

"Yeah," Nick responded, suddenly sounding very tired. If he didn't believe her excuse, he was too worn out to pursue it at the moment.

Cassie exhaled in relief.

* * *

They walked most of the way back to the motel in silence. The bitter wind ripped at their clothing, making Cassie shiver inside of her coat. 

She looked over at Nick to see if he was freezing, too. But if he was cold, he certainly wasn't acting like it. Instead he had a puzzled expression on his normally stoic face.

"What's up?" Cassie asked, prodding him.

He looked over at her thoughtfully as another gust of wind tore through downtown. "Oh," he muttered, "I was just wondering why you were screaming 'fire' a few minutes ago--you know, when I grabbed you. Were you trying to summon the elements or something?"

Cassie felt her face turn completely red.

She was a complete moron. There was no doubt about it.

"Well, you know--" she stammered, "it's a self-defense thing. They say if you scream 'fire' people are more likely to come to your aid."

There was a quiet moment as Nick processed this information.

"Okay," he replied finally, as if saying '_Yeah, right'._ Cassie noticed that he was biting his lip to keep from laughing.

"Oh, shut up!" she cried, giving him a playful shove. "I saw it on _Oprah_!"

"You do realize the twins are going to have a field day when they hear about this," Nick grinned.

"Oh, I'm sure they will," groaned Cassie, wishing that she could melt into the sidewalk. "Is there any way that you could, like... not tell them?"

Nick laughed. "And spoil all the fun? Not a chance." He winked at her.

Cassie sighed.

They still had over a thousand miles to go on their road trip home.

She was never going to hear the end of this.

* * *

They made it back to the motel within the next few minutes. As Nick reached into his back pocket for his wallet, Cassie hastily withdrew the room key from her coat. 

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, as Nick spotted the card in her hand. She reached past him and inserted it in the lock.

He shot her an amused look. "I never knew you were so sneaky, Cassie."

She had been worried that he would be angry she went through his stuff, but he only seemed to find the situation humorous. He had a half-smile on his icily handsome face.

Cassie shrugged, stepping into the room. "Well, maybe there's a lot you don't know about me, Nick," she replied coolly.

"Well, if it isn't Cassie Blake, Girl of Mystery," commented Chris as he burst through the open doorway behind them.

"No, no--Cassie Blake, the Hot Chick Who Vanishes in the Middle of the Night," Doug corrected, as he entered the room. He and Chris exchanged hi-fives.

"Why'd you run away from us?" Chris asked, his tip-tilted eyes wide. He honestly sounded a little hurt. Doug, on the other hand, was scowling impatiently at her, obviously waiting for an explanation.

"I didn't run away, guys. I got a healing spell for Adam and Diana. That's all," Cassie explained briefly.

"Sweet," Chris said, brightening immediately. Doug simply nodded, in acceptance.

The Henderson brothers usually weren't difficult to please. Thankfully, no further explanation was necessary for them.

Fully exhausted, Cassie flopped onto her bed and pulled the covers up over top of herself. She desperately needed some rest.

"No running off again, Cassie," Nick called out from his place on the floor.

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Cassie. "I promise I'll stay right here."

"Well, you know... maybe one of us should sleep next to you and make sure," suggested Chris.

"No," Nick and Doug replied in unison.

Cassie could hear the sound of Doug hitting Chris with his pillow.

"Okay, okay. Cassie gets her own bed. I get it," Chris replied.

Cassie chuckled to herself as she closed her eyes. At least Nick hadn't told the Henderson brothers about her screaming 'fire' at the top of her lungs.

Well, he hadn't told them _yet_, anyway.

She still felt ridiculous about the whole thing. If only she hadn't made an ass out of herself. It was just Nick, after all. Who else would it have been?

_Darkness follows_.

The warning she had been given echoed through her head once again.

_That's why I was so worked up. I thought something evil was following me because of what that woman told me_.

But that was silly. Nothing was out to get her. The warning was about the spell involving dark magic. She meant darkness follows the spell.

Didn't she?

* * *

For the reviewers: 

Emmie4383--I'm so glad you're still reading the story! Thanks for the review!

Alanna99--I'm glad you enjoyed the condom thing. It's kind of awkward but I thought it was amusing. Thanks for the review!

Sparkle63--Thanks for the review! I'm hoping to update more frequently, but we'll see how it goes... Unfortunately, work takes up most of my time.

2d2la--You'll probably find this chapter too short, as well. LOL But I was faced with having to make you guys wait longer while I find the time to write more, or post what I had written already in the meantime. I figured I'd kept you guys waiting too long for an update already. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too! Thanks for the review!

Hecate0808--Thanks for the review! I hope you keep reading!

Shannon K--One of my favorite authors once said, "A happy person living a happy little life does not make for an interesting story." Anyway, I think she was right. I'm glad that you thought the story was interesting. I'm really hoping that it stays that way. Thanks for the review!

Xxx Queen of Slayers xxx--Thanks for the compliment! I'm trying not to stray too far from what I think L.J. Smith would have imagined for the characters. Not that I could ever live up to her genius or anything, but I'm trying to make this all believable and seem like it could actually be part of Cassie's story. Thanks so much for the review!

Jules--I will try to update as often as I can! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for the review!

Fhs03--I'm thrilled to hear that you are hooked on the story! As for Bastian, I guess we'll have to see whether Cassie runs into him again or not... I realize that doesn't answer your question, but I'm trying not to spoil any of the story. Thanks for the review! I'm glad that you are enjoying the story.

Mystical-Magikal-Wytch--I'm so glad that you love the story and that you think it is well-written and imaginative. I really appreciate the compliment and I promise I will try to update soon! Thanks so much for the review!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

A/N: Thanks to all of you who reviewed! I really love hearing what you all think!

Sparkle63: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much! I hope I'm still keeping the characters true to the spirit!

Hecate0808: I'm happy you're loving the story!

Mystical-Magickal-Wytch: I'm glad you appreciated the suspense. I'd really like to add more to the story in the future, but we'll see what happens...

-2d2la-: I once went on a road trip with six guys and only one other girl--some of the guys would constantly hit on me, while a few of the others would react protectively. It was mildly annoying, but definitely amusing. I could just see the twins and Nick doing the same kind of thing to Cassie. Anyway, I'm glad you're still enjoying the story!

Alanna99: That's the million dollar question, isn't it? LOL I agree, there are a lot of sparks flying b/t Cassie and Nick right now. I guess we'll just have to see what happens when they get back to New Salem and Adam is nearby...

Xxx Queen of Slayers xxx: I'm glad that you like the story so far! As for what "darkness follows" means, I'm going to have to leave that ambiguous for the time being. Trust me, you'll know for sure what it means by the time the story is over, but to spell it out completely at this point might ruin the story. If you couldn't tell already, I like to leave you guessing just a little bit.

* * *

_Grounded. For life._

Cassie supposed she deserved the sentence. She had run away to _California_, for goodness sakes. Her mother had every right to be upset. Nevertheless, the punishment still sucked.

With a sigh Cassie slumped onto her four-poster bed and kicked off her sneakers. She should try to stay positive, she decided. Her mother really couldn't ground her forever. Sooner or later she would get tired of Cassie moping around the house and she would have to let her off the hook.

_Or she might take pity because Adam and Diana are sick. She might let me out to see if I can be of any help._ Cassie's eyes wandered over to her large Bombe dresser, where she had hastily stashed her velvet bag of spell ingredients in her sock drawer.

Now _that_ sounded like a plan.

Twenty minutes later, Cassie parked her VW Rabbit outside of Diana's house. As she had predicted, her mother had agreed to let her visit Diana and Adam and see if she could be of any help. However, Cassie was under strict instructions to return straight home after she was finished.

Cassie gazed nervously up at the big yellow house. The last time she had set foot inside she had overheard Adam and Diana confessing their love for each other. Just thinking about it almost made her sick to her stomach.

But Cassie knew what she had to do. She had thought long and hard throughout the drive from Nebraska about the two spells she had purchased.

She loved Adam. She would do this for him. She would do this for the sake of herself and Diana, too.

There was no turning back now.

Cassie took a deep breath and headed up the front steps. Diana's father greeted her at the door and let her inside, informing her that Diana was resting alone upstairs.

When Cassie reached Diana's bedroom, she saw that the blond girl was sleeping peacefully, curled underneath a fluffy down comforter.

Gazing down at Diana's beautiful and serene face, Cassie felt some of the anger inside of her fade. Diana had done so much for her. There truly wasn't a selfish bone in her body.

The thought made Cassie feel guilty inside. She knew she was about to do something dishonest and even potentially dangerous, that involved Diana.

_But it's for her own good_, Cassie defended silently to herself.

Slowly Cassie retrieved a small glass vial from her purse. She fingered it cautiously before calmly calling out to Diana.

"Diana, wake up. It's Cassie," she paused as Diana's eyelids fluttered. "I've come to visit you."

Diana blinked and glanced up at Cassie weakly. "Cassie, you're back," she said. She smiled gently. "I was so worried about you."

"Well, there's no cause for any alarm. I'm back home, as you can see. Safe and sound." Cassie shrugged awkwardly, unable to hide the anxious tension she was feeling.

Diana's clear green eyes roved over Cassie thoughtfully. "You're sure nothing's wrong?"

"Absolutely," Cassie nodded, forcing a tight smile. "Anyway, enough about me. We should be focusing on you--which is why I came. I found an amazing healing spell that should fix you right up."

"Really? That's fantastic, Cassie. Melanie has tried several herbal remedies, but nothing has worked too well. Where did you find it?"

"A tiny witch shop in Nebraska," Cassie explained. "Now, if you'll allow me, I need to get a small sample of your blood. It's for the healing spell."

Diana gracefully stretched out her right arm.

_So trusting_, thought Cassie, feeling like a snake.

Diana winced as Cassie made a small cut on her forearm, then placed it over the vial to drip.

"It must be a truly powerful healing spell if it involves blood. I don't think I've ever heard of such a thing," Diana commented tiredly.

"It_ is_ powerful," Cassie snapped, a little too defensively. "That's why you're going to get _better_."

_God, I'm such a liar_. Cassie mentally kicked herself for being so rotten.

Diana looked upset by Cassie's tone.

"I'm sorry," Cassie said. "I've been on the road for hours. I think it made me crabby."

"It's okay," Diana responded. "I'm just glad you're back." She paused as Cassie blotted her arm with a tissue. The vial was now full. "Thanks for finding this spell. I hope it works."

_Me, too_, thought Cassie.

* * *

Cassie's next stop was Adam's house. She was definitely more nervous about this visit than she was about Diana's. Adam wasn't as trusting as Diana. He might be harder to convince. 

It was Melanie who let Cassie inside the house. She explained that she had just been checking up on her "patient" but that his condition did not seem to be improving much.

"How was California?" she asked. Her gray eyes seemed piercing.

Cassie got the feeling that Melanie was ticked off.

"Fine," Cassie replied, not sure that she owed Melanie any sort of explanation for her behavior. "Everything was just fine."

"Uh-huh," Melanie nodded, unimpressed. Then she shrugged. "Well, I'll be seeing you."

"Yeah, later," Cassie called. Well, _that_ was fun.

Adam was awake when Cassie walked into his room. He sat up immediately, eyes wide. He tossed the novel he had been reading to the side.

"Cassie..." he began, "I-I don't even know what to say."

"You look feverish," Cassie commented, taking a seat next to him on the plaid bedspread.

"Yeah, well, I probably deserve to be sick," he muttered. He ran a hand through his reddish hair, then shook his head softly before looking at her again.

Cassie gazed down at his navy blue flannel sheets, avoiding his eyes.

"You overheard me and Diana talking the other night, didn't you? That's why you ran away, isn't it?" His voice sounded heavy with shame.

Cassie didn't know how to respond. For lack of a better option, she continued to stare at the bed, focusing on a tiny pull in the sheet.

Adam took her silence as a confirmation. "God, I don't deserve you," he sighed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what I was saying the other night. I-I just don't know anything these days." He paused, swallowing loudly. "But I do love you Cassie, I swear."

_I love you, too_, Cassie ached to say. But her pride wouldn't let her. She bit her lip.

"Let's not talk about this right now," she said slowly, trying desperately to change the subject.

"Of course we need to talk about this right now," Adam gasped. "I've been agonizing over this for days."

Well, at least she hadn't been the only one.

Cassie finally turned to look at him. "Fine. Knock yourself out," she stated flatly.

Adam's blue-gray eyes searched her face. Cassie tried to appear stoic, hoping to mask her emotions the way Nick always did. She stuck out her chin stubbornly.

"The other night--I was just talking. It didn't mean that I don't care about you," he rushed to explain.

"But you care about Diana. You love her." Cassie's bottom lip trembled uncontrollably. _Baby_, she scolded herself.

Adam couldn't deny it. "Yes," he admitted. "But I love you, too."

"That's quite a conundrum you've got, isn't it Adam?" It took all of Cassie's energy to sound indifferent. Inside, her heart was pounding.

"Yeah," he agreed. "It's a real mess." He paused for a moment and looked at her thoughtfully again. "Was that the only reason you ran off?"

"What do you mean?" Cassie asked, slightly confused.

"Well, I know you weren't in the right frame of mind the other night. Faye admitted to putting a charm on the punch that was aimed at you," he began.

_So that explains some of the craziness_, Cassie thought to herself. _Go figure_. She was surprised at her lack of anger toward the other girl. It was a little late for that anyway, she supposed.

"And I know that you visited Nick right after you overheard me and Diana..." Adam's voice continued.

"So?" Cassie prompted, determined to make him spell it out. "What are you trying to say?"

Adam's eyes locked onto hers. "Did something happen between you and Nick?"

Cassie's face flushed reflexively as she recalled her behavior that night in Nick's garage. She was embarrassed to even think about it.

"Son of a _bitch_!" Adam exclaimed, noticing her reaction. He slammed his fist down on the bed, shaking it violently.

"No! Wait, Adam, nothing happened. Seriously." Cassie reached out and placed her hands on his shoulders. His skin radiated feverish heat through his cotton t-shirt.

"Then why is your face all red?" he demanded angrily. His blue-gray eyes were flashing wildly.

"Because I slapped him!" she retorted immediately. "It was horrible--"

"You _slapped_ him? What the hell did he do?" Adam shrieked. He was now absolutely furious. "If he even touched you, I'll kill him. I swear."

Cassie gaped at him in astonishment. _Adam_ was jealous? She was the one who had overheard him professing his love to his old girlfriend. Shouldn't she be the angry one?

"Adam, calm down! Nothing happened!" Cassie cried out.

"Then why the hell did you hit him?"

"Because I was out of my mind that night! And after witnessing that little scene between you and Diana I was a complete mess," Cassie exclaimed. "So if you must know, I wandered into the Armstrong garage and made a complete ass of myself. I'm lucky Nick is even speaking to me."

Adam processed this information in silence. Cassie could see some of the tension leave his jaw.

"Besides where do you get off accusing me of messing around with Nick, when you're the one stringing two girls along at the same time?" She spat before she could stop herself. The anger and hurt that she had been containing for days was threatening to bubble over any minute now.

Adam flinched as if he had been struck. "I'm sorry, Cassie," he said. "I really am. I've just been lying here with too much time to think. Nick wouldn't tell me what had happened the other night, but I knew that you had been under the influence of Faye's charm..." his voice trailed off. "And then Nick was so eager to go out to California--I couldn't help but wonder."

"Let's just forget about it," Cassie said with a sigh. "Okay?"

Adam nodded slowly in agreement.

Cassie pulled an empty vial from her purse. "Now I've found a spell that should help you get well..." she began.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**A/N**: Thanks to all of you who reviewed! I really love hearing what you all think!

**-2d2la-:** If I had my choice, I would just write to my heart's content all the time. Unfortunately, I have too many other responsibilities right now. So you guys will probably have to settle for shorter chapters, just so I can post more often. But as you can see, this chapter is certainly longer! Anyway, I'm glad you're still following the story!

**Emmie4328, xxx Queen of Slayers xxx, Sparkle63, Mystical-Magickal-Wytch, and Susan**: I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying the story. Your opinions really mean a lot to me, so thanks for reviewing--it does motivate me to write more often!

**Reggie**: I must confess, when I saw that you had reviewed for the second time before I had even posted another chapter, it made me feel kinda guilty. (I hate when people don't update stories that I'm into.) So I hurried to post something new. I hope you enjoy it! (Oh, I'm trying to think of a way to add the chalcedony rose into the plot a little bit... we'll see if I can squeeze it in somewhere and make it work.)

**GivenPeace13**: Thanks so much for the compliment! I'm thrilled to hear that you like the story so much!

* * *

The full moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale glow on the ocean below. Cassie hastily pulled the curtains back into place, throwing her bedroom into a thick darkness. The digital alarm clock on her nightstand read 12:00 am.

Midnight. With a full moon.

_The_ _Witching Hour_.

Just as her spell required.

Cassie's hands trembled slightly as she unrolled the thin piece of parchment. The scroll looked ancient with its frayed yellowish-brown edges and faded cursive print, yet it felt smooth and soft between Cassie's fingers. She carefully set the worn paper onto the floor in her room, next to the small circle she had drawn in white chalk on her floorboards. A single white candle burned in the center of the circle, as the ancient cursive script dictated.

Cassie took a deep breath, then rummaged through the stack of odds and ends sitting to her right. Slowly, she selected the small paring knife she had borrowed from the kitchen and brought it to rest over her left palm. She closed her eyes and made a quick motion with her right hand, gritting her teeth against the sharp pain.

A thin line of blood welled up on her left palm. In the soft light from the solitary candle, it simply looked black. Cassie leaned over and grabbed a little earthenware bowl from her stash of objects and then formed a fist over it with her left hand. The dark blood trickled from her tightened hand to form a small pool in the bottom of the bowl.

After a minute or so, she blotted her palm with a damp cloth, stifling the bloody drip. Then she methodically reached for the vial of blood labeled "Diana" and poured its contents into another small bowl. Her hands shook as she placed the empty vial onto the floor.

_Why am I so nervous?_ she thought to herself, trying to brush it off lightly. _It's just a spell._

But inside she knew the reason. No ordinary spell had to be performed at the Witching Hour. This spell was powerful and dangerous.

Try as she might, Cassie couldn't lie to herself.

This was black magic.

And sooner or later, there would be a consequence.

Cassie glanced at the scroll once again. The top of the parchment read _Effrego Vinculum Fortuna_ in loose penmanship.

_Latin_. The spell was so old that it had been written in a dead language. It was possible that it had been transcribed during medieval times or maybe the Renaissance.

_There has to have been tons of people who have used this spell since then_, thought Cassie. _Could the consequences really be that bad?_

Maybe. But she didn't think so. This spell--_this one little spell_--held the answers to all of her problems.

It would be worth the risk. It had to be.

With that thought in mind, Cassie pulled several ingredients out of her velvet bag and began grinding them together with a mortar and pestle. Then she took a pinch of the newly ground powder and dropped it into the bowl of Diana's blood. Afterward, she placed the small bowl inside the chalk circle, to the left of the white candle.

Cassie started to take another pinch of the powder to place in the bowl of her own blood, but she stopped suddenly, hesitating for a moment.

A thought had suddenly occurred to her.

She could just perform the spell on Adam and Diana. That would easily give her everything that she wanted.

Cassie's heart thudded loudly in her chest as she pondered this idea. She wanted the result so badly she could taste it.

But it was _wrong_. Wrong in a different way than the spell.

It was selfish. She couldn't place herself above Diana. She just _couldn't_. She would never be able to live with herself.

If Cassie was going to be with Adam, she was going to be with him fair and square. Not because she cheated and not because of some spell, but because they loved each other.

_Did that sound too idealistic?_ Maybe she still was a dreamer at heart.

Before she could change her mind, Cassie hurriedly tossed the pinch of powder into her own bowl of blood, then placed this bowl to the right side of the white candle.

Then she selected the vial containing Adam's blood and pulled the lid off. She carefully poured half of its contents into the bowl of Diana's blood and half of its contents into the bowl of her own blood.

Her hand weren't shaking anymore. Determination had set in.

She would do this. She would set things right.

Cassie picked up two long black candles and lit each of them from the white candle burning in the circle. She let each of the tall black candles drip some wax into the two small bowls of blood before placing one of the candles into the center of each bowl.

The black wax looked eerie as it slid down the long candles into the metallic smelling liquid below.

It was time to begin the chant.

Cassie gathered the smooth parchment from the floor and read in a smooth, clear voice:

"_Cruor diligo,_

_Cruor fortuna,_

_Discerpo ligo ut redimio mihi."_

Was it just her imagination or was the wind picking up outside? She could hear the tree branches outside her window, scraping loudly against the glass panes.

"_Cruor diligo,_

_Cruor fortuna,_

_Discerpo ligo ut redimio mihi."_

She repeated a second time, breathing deeply as the branches thrashed against the windows and the furious gusts of wind howled against the outside of the house.

The blood in the small bowls was bubbling and gurgling, threatening to spill over the edges of the earthenware containers. It had thickened and solidified some, resembling a hot black tar.

It was disgusting.

To her horror, a large hairy spider crawled out of the bowl on the left and began to creep toward her. Cassie jumped up from her position on the floor and stepped back with a crunch. Lifting up her sneaker, she discovered that she had stepped on some sort of locust or beetle. Whatever it was, it had been at least three inches long.

A loud crack of thunder sounded overhead.

Cassie took a panicked breath and continued to step back from the chalk circle. From the dim light of the candles, Cassie could now see hundreds of bugs and spiders crawling over her darkened floor.

And something was slithering under her bed. She could hear it moving around under there, back and forth, back and forth.

A centipede crawled slowly over the toe of her right sneaker and some sort of moth buzzed by her ear.

Cassie resisted the urge to vomit. More than anything, she wanted to turn and run from the room, but she knew she had to finish the spell. No matter what.

"_Cruor diligo,_

_Cruor fortuna,_

_Discerpo ligo ut redimio mihi!"_

She yelled over the shrieking of the wind outside and the buzzing of the insects that filled her room.

The room began to rock and shake. If Cassie had been in California, she would have thought that it was an earthquake. But she knew better.

This was no earthquake.

The heavy Bombe furniture in the room began to shift and slide with the shuddering house. Cassie tried not to stumble as she stepped back over to the chalk circle and bent down toward the candles.

With one deep breath she blew out the white candle in the middle. Immediately the two black candles went out, blanketing the room in complete darkness.

Suddenly, the windows flew open; their frames flapping violently against the walls and the curtains blowing wildly behind them.

Cassie was thrown to the floor by the impact of the air rushing into the room. She tried to stand, but was unable to; the force of the wind was holding her down.

Along with the pale moonlight from outside, a smoky darkness was streaming into Cassie's room, floating just above the window sill. She could feel it approaching her and slowly encircling her.

There was nothing she could do to fight it.

She closed her eyes tightly and tried to shut it out. She could feel it surrounding her, trying to find a way to exploit her.

_Oh, God, what have I done?_ Cassie thought frantically, still huddled on the floor as the darkness overtook her.

_Effrego Vinculum Fortuna_, her brain recalled numbly. Although she had never been a Latin scholar, she knew what it meant.

To Break the Bonds of Fate.

* * *

"Cassie, are you awake in there?" her mother's voice called from the other side of the bedroom door. It jolted Cassie back to consciousness.

She was fully clothed and lying on the floor of her room. The two large windows were wide open and sunlight was streaming in.

"I'm awake," Cassie muttered, pulling herself into a sitting position.

She could hear her mother's footsteps proceeding down the hall, away from the door.

Wearily, Cassie glanced around the room, noting its condition. The candles and the earthenware bowls were still inside the white chalk circle and looked untouched. The rest of the room looked fairly normal, besides the open windows in January. And there were definitely no bugs or spiders or other creepy-crawleys about. That was a plus.

But the ancient scroll was gone. Cassie searched her room from top to bottom, but it had disappeared completely.

_Maybe it was a one-time use only_, she thought with a shrug.

Or maybe it was like those messages on _Inspector Gadget_ and it self-destructed. Who knew?

Anyway, Cassie knew that she couldn't waste anymore time looking for it. She had other matters to attend to.

She quickly dusted away the chalk circle on the floor and cleaned up the rest of her mess.

She had another spell to concoct now. This time it was a potion.

A powerful potion. But _not_ a dangerous one.

_No more bugs, wind, and thunder. No thank you._

Cassie was on the straight and narrow path from now on.

Or so she hoped.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Cassie drove over to Diana's house with a traveler's mug full of the special healing potion. When she reached Diana's room, she wasn't too surprised to find that Melanie and Laurel were already there.

Diana was sitting up while Melanie took her temperature.

"You still have a fever," Melanie sighed. "I'm amazed that whatever it is hasn't gone away on its own by now. It's been almost two weeks."

Diana spied the container in Cassie's hands. "Is that the healing charm?"

Cassie nodded and placed the mug on Diana's nightstand.

"Diana said that you were making one," said Laurel, thoughtfully. "I've never heard of one that uses blood."

Melanie was eying Cassie suspiciously. Or at least it seemed like it.

Cassie chose to ignore her. "I hadn't heard of it, either," she shrugged. "But then again, I really hadn't heard of much of this stuff."

"Well, we might as well give it a shot," remarked Diana. Her voice still sounded weak. "I'll drink it."

As Diana began to sip the drink, Melanie spoke up. "How long is it supposed to take before we see any results?"

"I'm not sure," Cassie replied honestly. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Melanie nodded.

"Anyway, I have to deliver some to Adam's house, too, so I'd better be going," Cassie stated. She forced a thin smile.

If only Melanie would stop staring at her like that. It was making her feel uncomfortable.

"I'll walk you out," Laurel said.

When they reached the front door, Laurel placed a hand on Cassie's arm, forcing her to stop.

"What's wrong?" Cassie asked, noticing the odd expression on the smaller girl's face.

"I don't know why, but I feel like I should tell you this," Laurel began. She glanced upstairs briefly and then lowered her voice. "I had a dream about Diana last night."

Cassie tried to keep her expression calm. Inside she had the sinking feeling that she was about to get caught. That somehow everyone knew what she had done.

"What was the dream about?" Cassie asked, surprised at how normal her voice sounded.

Laurel bit her lip uncertainly. "Well, it was disturbing. Diana was Diana, the same as always, I guess. And she was asleep in this gigantic bed covered in big white pillows and covers. Sort of like Sleeping Beauty, you know?"

Cassie nodded slowly, encouraging Laurel to continue.

"And wrapped up with Diana inside the fluffy blankets was a monstrous black snake. It was all coiled about her--practically suffocating her, but somehow she was still alive and sleeping soundly."

The image was sickening. Cassie shook her head, trying to rid herself of the idea.

"Do you think it means something?" Laurel gazed at Cassie with hopeful eyes.

Cassie had a horrible fear that it had something to do with her sneaking some of Diana's blood. God, how she had felt like a snake when she had taken it. But, then again, it could be about anything--maybe even the illness Diana had. Or maybe the dream had no meaning at all. That, too, was a possibility.

"I don't know," sighed Cassie. "I really don't. Maybe the snake represents the illness affecting Diana right now."

"That's what Melanie said," Laurel replied. "But I didn't get that feeling at all from it." Then she shrugged. "I'll let you know if Diana starts feeling any better."

"Thanks," Cassie called, as she headed outside.

* * *

Her next stop was Adam's house. She let herself in after finding the front door unlocked and proceeded upstairs.

Adam was sleeping when she entered his room. Cassie couldn't resist gazing down at him for a brief moment. He looked so young and vulnerable, lying there like that.

She resisted the urge to run her fingers through his soft hair. Instead she set the plastic container she was carrying on his desk and scrawled a note on a post-it she found.

_Adam--_

_Drink this. It's the healing potion I made._

_Let me know if it works._

_Cassie_

She was on her way out of the room when she stepped on a squeaky floorboard. It groaned loudly beneath her foot, causing Adam to open his eyes.

_Damn these old houses_, thought Cassie. So much for an easy getaway.

"Cassie," he murmured, rubbing his eyes with his hand. "Don't leave."

"I've got stuff to do," she shrugged, trying to sound busy. As much as she loved him, it still hurt to be around him right now. "I just came by to drop off that healing potion I told you about, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," he said. His eyes wandered over her face thoughtfully, and then he just stared at her, unblinking for a few moments.

"What?" Cassie asked. "Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have something on my face?"

Adam shook his head slowly. "No, sorry." He continued to watch her for a brief minute, before tearing his eyes away.

"Whatever," Cassie replied, heading towards the door.

She could feel his eyes following her.

"There's just something different about you," Adam's voice rang out behind her.

Cassie stopped dead in her tracks. _He knows_.

"Don't be silly," Cassie said, without turning around. She was afraid that if she looked at him, if she met his eyes, that he would see right through her.

"I don't know what it is," Adam continued. "I can't explain it. But I just feel so far away from you. Like we're not connected anymore or something." His voice sounded sort of desperate, almost pleading. He wanted her to contradict him--to tell him that it wasn't true and to make him believe it.

"You're wrong, Adam." Cassie tried to force her voice to be steady, but it shook a little. "You just feel that way right now because you're feverish. You're not thinking clearly." She still refused to look at him, afraid of what he might see.

_Believe me_, she thought, drawing on the Power inside her before she could stop herself.

Normally, Adam could tell if she was using the Powers against him, but somehow she knew that right now he wouldn't be able to. Maybe it was because he was weakened from being ill, or maybe it was because she was feeling a little different.

After last night, she _was_ different. She had experienced such terror and excitement and had lived through it. She felt much stronger as a witch now and a little wiser, too.

"You're probably right," Adam muttered, after a moment. "I am a little out of it."

"Well, drink the potion. It might help." Cassie finally turned to look at him, her eyes meeting his blue-gray ones.

He smiled up at her complacently, looking like he didn't have a question in the world. "Thanks."

Cassie flashed him a brilliant smile. "Anytime," she answered smoothly.

As she walked out of Adam's room, a sigh of relief flowed through her.

Last night's spell had worked.

* * *

A/N: Just so there's no confusion--Cassie performed the same spell on both the connection between Adam and Diana and the connection between Adam and herself.  In other words, she broke both connections.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**A/N**: Thanks to all of you who reviewed! I really love hearing what you all think!

**Lucidreams:** Wow. Thank you so much for the compliment. While I don't think I could ever come close to L.J. Smith's writing, I'm totally flattered that you said that. I'm also thrilled that this story inspired you to write some of your own Secret Circle fics. I look forward to checking them out when I get the chance!

**xxx Queen of Slayers xxx:** Don't worry just yet, there's still lots of stuff ahead for Adam/Cassie fans, as well as Cassie/Nick fans. I just needed to throw in some complications. And I will definitely check out (and review) your stories when I get the chance!

**GivenPeace13:** As I mentioned earlier, I'm sorry about the confusion. Cassie broke the connection between Adam and herself, as well as the connection between Adam and Diana. At the risk of sounding weird, I'm glad you thought the dream was creepy. I did, too.

**Faefay:** You'll find out a little bit more about the spell and its effects as the story goes on, I promise. But as of right now, Adam isn't cosmically attached to anyone.

* * *

It was around seven o'clock that evening when Cassie received the phone call.

"Cassie? It's Laurel," the voice on the other end of the phone said. "The spell worked. Adam and Diana are both looking and feeling great!"

Cassie smiled to herself. "That's fantastic!" she exclaimed. "I'm so glad!"

"Melanie told them that they should probably take it easy and get some more rest," Laurel continued, "but that they should both be fine to go to school tomorrow."

_Ugh. School_. Winter break was officially over tomorrow. Cassie had almost forgotten about it entirely.

"Well, thanks for letting me know," said Cassie. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Laurel said her goodbye and they both hung up.

Cassie couldn't help grinning with self-satisfaction. Both of the spells that she had put together single-handedly had worked. Somewhere deep inside, she hadn't been one hundred percent sure that she could pull it all off. But then again, she wasn't that same girl she used to be. She was becoming stronger and more confident all the time. It felt good to be excelling at something, especially her heritage.

She was just putting the finishing touches on an essay for her English class, when there was a knock at her bedroom door. Her heart picked up a little, as her thoughts turned to Adam. He was feeling better now, wasn't he? Maybe he had stopped by to thank her for the potion.

"Come in," Cassie called, turning around in her desk chair to face the door.

To her surprise, the door opened and Faye strutted inside, her long mane of black hair flowing behind her. Her amber eyes were alert and excited and she took a seat on Cassie's bed without even asking.

Cassie could feel her face tighten instinctively. A visit from Faye was never fun.

"Why, Cassie, you look disappointed. Were you expecting someone else, perhaps?" Faye's ruby lips twisted into a smile. Her expression was merciless. She was up to something, no doubt. "Someone like Adam? I hear he's doing better now--thanks to you."

Cassie shrugged. "Maybe I was, Faye. What's it to you?" She was in no mood to play games with Faye right now. If Faye had a point, she better get to it.

"Oooh, grouchy today, aren't you?" the tall girl chuckled, crossing one leg over the other. From her posture it was apparent that she was in no hurry. She grinned lazily at Cassie. "Maybe your little potion spoiled my fun."

Cassie looked up at the other girl sharply. "What do you mean?" she asked, suspiciously.

Faye's chuckle turned into a full laugh. Then she tossed her dark head back and sighed dramatically. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" She shook her head in mock disappointment. "I thought you were smarter than that. Really, Cassie."

Cassie kept her expression tight. She was not amused.

"Your little potion ruined my fun with Adam and Diana," Faye said. "It was a lot of hard work conjuring up a virus."

"You _bitch_," Cassie hissed, before she could stop herself. "Why would you do something like that?"

Hot anger boiled up inside of Cassie. It took all of her willpower not to rush at the other girl and start swinging.

Faye shrugged nonchalantly. "I was bored. And I wanted to see what I could do. Power is amazing, isn't it? Don't you love the thrill of it all?"

"But Faye, you made a vow never to harm anyone in the Circle. We all made that vow when we joined the coven. How could you do something like this? How do you think the others are going to react when they find out?"

"There was no real harm done." Faye grinned and leaned forward slightly, her hawk-like eyes were flashing. "Besides, who's going to tell them?"

Cassie refused to dignify that with a response out loud. The answer was obvious. _Me, of course_, Cassie thought.

"Oh, no you won't." Faye's voice was confident and strong.

Cassie snorted in disbelief. "And why not?"

"Because I _know_, Cassie," Faye smirked.

Cassie's breath caught in her throat. _Impossible. She couldn't know anything._

"Know what?" Cassie tried to play it cool.

"About you," Faye said mysteriously.

"What about me?" Cassie snapped, losing her patience. _Enough already._

"That you're surrendering to your shadow self," Faye murmured. Her amber eyes met Cassie's bright blue ones. For a long moment they stared at each other.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cassie stated flatly.

She wasn't surrendering to her shadow self. Faye was nuts.

"Oh, yes you do," the other girl continued. "I know the signs. And I can feel the dark magic emanating from this room. It calls to me, you know." She paused and looked at Cassie thoughtfully. "I'm beginning to think that it calls to you, as well."

"You're crazy," Cassie replied, trying not to panic. She would die if the others found out about the spell. She would just die.

"Maybe," Faye shrugged, "but you can't deny that you've been delving into the dark stuff. The _forbidden_ stuff. I can sense its power all over you."

Cassie knew she had been caught. There was no sense in denying it. She merely sat at her desk, trying to brace herself for Faye's next move.

She wouldn't allow herself to be blackmailed again. No way. She had learned her lesson where that was concerned.

"So aren't you going to tell me what spell you performed?" Faye sounded giddy, like a child on Christmas.

"No, Faye, I'm not," Cassie answered coldly.

Faye looked slightly miffed, but she recovered quickly. "I should have known you wouldn't tell me that. But, if I had to guess, I would think it had something to do with Adam."

Cassie had never been good at controlling her emotions. Her facial expression told Faye that she had been right.

Faye clucked her tongue. "Naughty, Cassie," she teased. Then she lowered her voice to a more serious tone. "But you don't have to worry, you know. Your secret is safe with me."

Cassie looked at her in disbelief. Then she understood. This time around it wasn't blackmail. It was tit for tat.

"I won't tell, if you won't," Faye grinned, reciting Cassie's thought's exactly.

Cassie sighed. Her secret was safe as long as she didn't rat Faye out about the virus.

"Why did you come here today and tell me all of this?" Cassie demanded suddenly. If Faye wasn't here to blackmail her, what _was_ she here for?

"Oh, I couldn't resist," Faye replied smoothly. "Little Cassie meddling with the dark side. I always knew you had it in you."

Cassie rolled her eyes.

Faye laughed. "You're much more fun when you don't play nice."

In one swift, graceful motion Faye stood up from the bed, but to Cassie's dismay she didn't head for the door. She sauntered casually over to where Cassie was sitting and leaned on the old fashioned desk.

"You did this spell because you want to be with Adam, correct?"

"Yes." _No use lying about it_, Cassie thought.

"You're afraid that Diana might win, aren't you? You think he might choose her over you?" Faye demanded.

Cassie's eyes narrowed to tiny slits. "What's your point, Faye?"

"I have some advice for you, that's all," Faye said, leaning down so that she and Cassie were on eye level. "_Make_ Adam want you. Don't just stand idly by while he makes up his mind. If you sit there with your thumb up your ass, Diana is going to win. If you love him, fight for him damn it! Or else you're going to lose."

Cassie blinked for a moment, realizing something. _Faye was right._

She and Diana were both in love with the same boy. And there could only be one winner.

This was war.

"Why do you care who Adam ends up with?" Cassie questioned, determined to find Faye's motive in all of this.

Faye shrugged. "Adam and Diana are too sickeningly sweet. It's hard to be around them without gagging. But you, on the other hand," she paused and smiled at Cassie approvingly, "you're a whole other story. I think Adam would be a lot more fun if he was with someone more exciting. Someone who isn't afraid of the dark."

Cassie wasn't sure she liked having Faye's approval. It made her feel sort of shady.

"And I'll tell you something else," Faye's voice had dropped to a whisper. "You can get power from seduction. Lots of power. I highly recommend it."

"No, thanks, Faye. I'm not interested," Cassie shook her head adamantly.

She wasn't about to use Adam to gain something for herself. That was wrong.

Besides, she wasn't into that sort of stuff anyway. _Seduction? Yeah, right_. She wasn't some vixen. Faye, maybe. But not her.

"Well, let me know if you change your mind." Faye gave Cassie a slow wink and then sauntered out of the room, leaving a trail of heady perfume behind her.

* * *

Cassie drove herself to school the following morning and noticed an immediate difference once she stepped onto the grounds. People were staring at her. Girls were scoffing, guys were eying her eagerly. By the time she had made it to her first period class, four guys had asked her out. She turned them all down.

_What is going on today?_ she wondered. She looked the same as she did before winter break. Why were all of these people coming up to her?

When the boy in the desk beside her asked what she was doing on Friday night, Cassie couldn't resist.

"No offense, but why are you asking me this? You're like the fifth person today." Cassie stared at him expectantly.

He shrugged awkwardly, his face coloring slightly. "Well, you know... it's all over school that you and Adam Conant broke up."

Cassie supposed she shouldn't be too surprised. The same thing had happened to Diana when Cassie and Adam began seeing each other. But Cassie was nowhere near as beautiful or as popular as Diana. At least, she didn't think so anyway.

By mid-morning, Cassie began ducking into the girls bathroom between classes just to get away from the questioning boys and suggestive glances. She felt silly, hiding out in the far stall, but no matter how many boys she turned down, another one soon followed.

Her nerves were already frazzled from dealing with Faye the night before. She had hardly slept after that. It was all she could do not to snap at the next person who spoke to her this morning.

The door to the girls room opened with a loud creak and several footsteps echoed inside. The group of girls proceeded to the front of the bathroom to primp in front of the large mirror.

"Did you see that new boy this morning?" one of them asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I saw him. His name is Carl Pendergrass," another girl replied. "He's a cutie."

"Well, it seemed to me like he was really interested in you, Portia," the first girl said.

_Portia_. Cassie clenched her jaw together tightly.

"I thought so, too," Portia replied. "He's very classy. We seem to have a lot in common. He asked me out for this weekend."

She still sounded as snobby and self-centered as ever. Cassie resisted the urge to gag.

The other girls were frantically pumping Portia for details about her upcoming date. After they'd had their fill of information, one of them commented in a low voice. "I think Faye Chamberlain has her eye on Carl, too. You better watch out, Portia."

Portia scoffed. "I'm not worried at all. Carl doesn't seem to be into the trashy type--you know, the ones that have been around the block a few times. He needs a _lady_."

The other girls murmured in agreement.

"You know who else was receiving a lot of attention this morning?" one of the other girls gushed. "_Cassie Blake_. Word on the street is that she and Adam Conant broke up."

"No way!" another girl exclaimed. "Didn't they just get together?"

"Uh-huh," the other girl confirmed. "But get this--I heard she flipped out over finding Adam and Diana together and then ran away to _California_. That's why they broke up. Isn't that crazy?"

There were some gasps from the group.

"Yeah, and I heard that Nick Armstrong and the Henderson brothers went out there and dragged her home," a third girl chipped in.

"You're kidding, right?" the first girl asked.

"Nope. That's what I heard. And--" she paused dramatically, "she stayed in a hotel room with all _three_ of them."

"That little slut!" someone exclaimed, sounding sort of awed by the scandalous nature of it all.

"Oh, come on guys," one of the girls interrupted. "You don't really think she messed around with them, do you? I mean, she doesn't seem like that type of girl."

_Thank God, someone out there has some sense_, Cassie thought.

It was then that Portia decided to speak up. "I've known Cassie longer than anyone else at this school. I think I should be the judge of her character."

"So what's you're opinion on all of this then?" the first girl demanded.

"I think the whole innocent act is just a ploy. That's how she's lures in all those guys," Portia remarked matter-of-factly. "She just bats her eyelashes and acts helpless. They can't resist it."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean she's sleeping with them. I just don't think she's like that." The same girl was refusing to believe that Cassie was a skank.

Whoever she was, Cassie decided she liked her. She could forgive her for hanging out with Portia. She had made that mistake once, too.

Portia sighed loudly. "Think about it, ladies." Her voice sounded so condescending. "Why on earth would anyone break up with Diana for someone like _Cassie_? She had to be giving something away."

At that moment, Cassie truly hated Portia. She despised her with every fiber of her being.

"And a guy like Nick Armstrong? I'm sure he's into more than just holding hands," Portia continued mercilessly. "Trust me, that girl is no better than a common prostitute. That's why all the guys are asking her out today. They just want a piece of the action."

Suddenly, the bell rang and the girls headed out the door, leaving Cassie alone in silence.

She hadn't realized that she'd been holding her breath. She let it out in a rush. She was so mad, she practically was seeing red.

Still clenching her jaw tightly, Cassie made a silent vow. She would get even with Portia if it was the last thing she did. That snobby girl was going to feel pain. _Real pain_.

Portia needed to be knocked off of her high horse for good. Somehow or some way, Cassie would see to it.

Portia Bainbridge was going to wish she'd never crossed Cassie Blake.

* * *

It was late afternoon when Cassie was accosted by Suzan in the hallway.

"Cassie, I just thought I should warn you," the strawberry-blonde sounded concerned. "There's some nasty rumors going around school about you, Nick, and the Hendersons."

"Yeah, so I've heard," sighed Cassie. There was nothing she could do about it now.

Suzan looked at her sympathetically. "Well, try not to worry about it, okay? I think most people know it's not true. It will all blow over in a few days, anyway."

Cassie nodded. "Thanks, Suzan."

Suzan gave her a slight smile and then headed off to her next class. Cassie sauntered over to her locker and spun the dial, yanking it open quickly. She was sick of all the stares and the laughs. She just wanted to go home and shut it all out.

A shadow loomed over her left shoulder. She glanced up to see Nick leaning against the row of lockers, looking down at her.

"Hey," he said.

Cassie forced a tight-lipped smile. "Hi."

"So I guess you've heard," he began. His expression looked normal. Stoic, as always.

Not much bothered Nick. Or so it seemed on the surface.

"Yeah," Cassie replied dryly. "I'm currently the world's biggest slut. It's kind of hard to ignore."

People were openly gawking at them in the hall. It was stopping the flow of traffic.

"Look, Nick, can you just go? You're making it worse." Cassie motioned to the crowd of onlookers.

Nick straightened up and looked over his shoulder at their audience.

"What the hell are you looking at?" he demanded. He sounded cold, harsh. Not to be messed around with.

The onlookers practically tripped over themselves as they tried to get away. Nick Armstrong wasn't someone that you pissed off.

When the crowd had mostly dispersed, Nick leaned back against the wall of lockers.

"The Henderson brothers were trying to explain their heroics at the bowling alley over the weekend," he continued. "I think some things got taken out of context."

"You think?" Cassie remarked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Well, they feel pretty bad about it," Nick sighed. "They didn't realize how their little adventure might sound to a bunch of drunken guys."

Well, at least she knew how the rumors began. Not that it helped much.

"You going to be alright?" Nick asked. His mahogany eyes looked soft.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she answered with a shrug. Sticks and stones, right?

"Besides, there's no sense in dwelling on stupid stuff and being miserable," Cassie continued, trying to force herself to lighten up. "You've got to enjoy life while you can, right?"

Something flickered in Nick's dark eyes for an instant.

_Oh, God. His prophecy!_ Cassie's hand flew to her mouth. God, she was such an insensitive jerk!

"Nick, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, her blue eyes wide. "I didn't mean it-"

"No, don't worry about it," he said. His facial features seemed to harden. "You're absolutely right."

He gave her a slight nod and then headed down the hallway.

Cassie leaned against her open locker with a slump. _Could today get any worse?_


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**A/N**: Thanks to all of you who reviewed! (There are messages for the reviewers at the end of this chapter.)

* * *

Cassie kept a low profile for most of the week. By Friday, a few people were still gossiping about her, but most of the talk had died down. Cassie's jaunt to California was becoming old news.

_Thank goodness_, thought Cassie as she made her way through the crowded hallway toward her AP History class. She was half-way down the corridor when she heard a voice from behind her calling out her name.

She turned to see Diana a few paces away. The blond girl quickly caught up to where Cassie was standing, a smile on her beautiful face.

"I thought we could walk to class together," Diana said.

"Sure," Cassie replied, casually.

"I feel like we've hardly seen each other in a while," Diana murmured.

Cassie nodded in agreement. It was true. They really hadn't seen each other in a while. It was probably because Cassie had been avoiding Diana like the plague. Not because she hated her or anything--she certainly didn't. But because it was hard to pretend like things were normal when they weren't.

Cassie wanted Adam. Diana was her competition. It was plain and simple. If Cassie was going to go after Adam freely, with no holds barred, she didn't want to have to smile at Diana every two seconds.

Diana led them both to her locker. "That healing potion worked amazingly." She smiled at Cassie again, with a grateful look in her green eyes. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Don't mention it," Cassie shrugged off the remark. She still felt like a snake for deceiving Diana with the other spell. She hated hearing Diana praise her now for the healing potion, especially when Cassie had only used it as a means to an end. It made her feel selfish and awful. Rotten to the core.

"Are you okay, Cassie?" Diana's emerald eyes were focused on her. They looked bright and full of life. Certifiably guilt-free.

Staring into those innocent eyes, Cassie immediately felt worse.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" She snapped, unable to help it. Her anger and shame over her actions had taken over. She was subject to their mercy. "Don't I look alright? Do I have some sign stamped on my forehead that says 'unstable'?"

Diana blinked, immediately apologetic. "No, of course not. I didn't mean to offend you. You just--"

"I just what?" Cassie demanded.

"You just seem really different. That's all."

First Adam. Then Faye. Now Diana. Who would she hear it from next?

Cassie swallowed steadily, trying to regain control over herself.

"I'm no different than I've ever been," she said in a much calmer voice. "When I was out in California, I had some time to reevaluate my life. I thought about a lot of things. That's all."

Diana nodded solemnly. "Including Adam?"

"Yeah, including him."

Diana turned around and spun the combination on her locker. She had apparently decided not to pry any further. Cassie stood awkwardly beside her, wishing she had an excuse to rush off.

At the end of the hall, Cassie spotted Faye talking to a tall, good-looking boy with sandy-brown hair. Unlike most Outsiders, this one didn't seem to be intimidated by Faye at all. He was strolling along beside the dark-haired vixen, and seemed to be completely at ease. He even smiled a few times, revealing a dimple in his left cheek.

"Who is that with Faye?" Cassie asked Diana, breaking their silent tension.

Diana followed Cassie's gaze. "Oh, that's Carl Pendergrass. He just moved here from Virginia."

_Carl Pendergrass_. Cassie recalled the name from the conversation she had overheard in the bathroom. _He's the one who has a date with Portia_.

"He doesn't seem to be bothered by Faye at all," commented Cassie, as she watched the two interact.

Diana shrugged. "I think he's incredibly strong-willed." Cassie looked at her for a further explanation. "He's in my English class," Diana continued, "and there was a big debate over the greatest American novel. He wouldn't back down from his opinion, but he was very polite. He's quite the Southern Gentleman, if you ask me."

"What did he think was the greatest American novel?" Cassie couldn't hide her curiosity.

"_The Great Gatsby_," replied Diana. "The teacher kept insisting that it was _Moby Dick_, but Carl would not agree. He argued that while _Moby Dick_ did explore some important themes and symbolism, that it was simply too long for the average person to pick up and enjoy. 'Most people would be bored out of their minds,' he said."

"He's probably right," Cassie sighed. The Melville novel was way too thick to pique her interests.

"I enjoyed _Moby Dick_," Diana confessed, pulling open her locker. "_The Great Gatsby_, too."

Cassie watched as Carl and Faye sauntered into the busy stairwell and then disappeared from view.

"Anyway, I wouldn't go around thinking he's super special. Did you know that he has a date with _Portia_ this weekend?"

Diana frowned. "Oh, I don't know about that."

"It's true. They have a date. I heard it from her lips," Cassie insisted.

"No, I mean, I don't know if their date is still on," replied Diana, as she began pulling books from the top shelf.

"Why wouldn't it be?" asked Cassie, slightly confused.

"Wait, you mean, you didn't hear?" Diana looked at her in shock. "Oh, Cassie, it's horrible. One of Portia's brothers died yesterday."

"What?" Cassie's jaw dropped open.

"It was a freak accident or something. One of her brothers--I can't remember which one--I think it was Logan--he was driving a convertible when the brakes went out or something. He drove over a cliff." Diana shook her head softly. "It's just terrible, isn't it?" she paused, sympathetically. "Anyway, I can imagine that Portia is so torn up right now that there won't be a date this weekend."

Cassie was silent, still too stunned to speak.

Logan Bainbridge was dead? She had spent most of last summer around Portia and the Bainbridges. This just couldn't be possible. People simply weren't supposed to die before they were twenty.

Life couldn't be so fragile, could it?

But then she thought about Jeffrey Lovejoy and his tasseled shoes swaying in the boiler room. And Kori Henderson's twisted body at the bottom of the stairs.

Life was nothing but fragile. It was time she remembered that.

Even though she had never liked Logan, she had never wished him dead.

Cassie shook her head slowly, then she stopped abruptly.

She had never wished Logan would die. She hadn't. But just the other day she had wanted Portia to feel pain. _Real pain_.

Oh, God. The black magic.

_It couldn't be a consequence of the spell, could it?_

It had to be a coincidence. It had to be!

_Darkness follows_. Those two words echoed through Cassie's head, making her feel faint.

_No_. This was not her fault. It couldn't be. _It couldn't be!_

"Cassie-" Diana began, a concerned look was on her face.

"Don't you _dare_ ask me if I'm alright!" Cassie interrupted, blinking back hot tears. "I'm just _fine_!"

Diana reached forward and placed a comforting hand on Cassie's forearm. Cassie shook it off.

Just then the bell rang, meaning they were late for class.

"I've got to go. I can't be here right now." Cassie desperately had to be alone. She needed to pull herself together and convince herself that all of this was just a mistake--that it was just a coincidence. Nothing more. Nothing remotely her fault.

She turned and ran down the now empty hall, completely bypassing her 7th period class.

* * *

Diana took two steps after her friend and then paused as Cassie disappeared into a stairwell. It was obvious she didn't want to be followed.

_I just hope she's alright_, Diana thought to herself. No matter what Cassie had said, she was not fine. But if Cassie didn't want to talk about it, that was her choice. Everyone was entitled to their own privacy. Diana could respect that. She just wished that there was some way that she could reach out to Cassie right now.

_Somehow, I'll find a way_, she thought firmly. _Whatever she's going through right now, we'll make it better. Together._ The optimistic thought comforted her some.

She was just about to shut her locker and head to class, when she spotted something white in the bottom corner, behind several notebooks. As she slid some of the notebooks out of the way, she saw that it was a beautiful, long-stemmed white rose. Careful not to prick herself on the thorns, she gingerly picked up the delicate flower.

Somehow, it had not been crushed by the contents of her locker. It smelled fresh and lovely, as if it had never been away from the sun.

_Certainly, it couldn't have been in there long_, Diana thought with a glance at the tall metal frame filled with heavy textbooks and three-ring binders.

There was a small piece of white paper wrapped around the stem and secured with a black velvet ribbon. She tugged at the strand of velvet and it came loose easily, freeing the soft sheet with it.

Diana gently unwound the smooth paper and found a poem. It was penned in neat, crisp handwriting. The letters were sleek and dark against the brightness of the page.

_**Who Ever Loved That Loved Not at First Sight?  
**__by Christopher Marlowe_

_It lies not in our power to love or hate,  
__For will in us is overruled by fate.  
__When two are stripped, long ere the course begin,  
__We wish that one should love, the other win;  
__And one especially do we affect  
__Of two gold ingots, like in each respect:  
__The reason no man knows; let it suffice  
__What we behold is censured by our eyes.  
__Where both deliberate, the love is slight:  
__Who ever loved, that loved not at first sight?_

Diana was touched by the words. Then her mind began to wander. _Who did this? And how did they get into my locker?_

As much as she wanted it to be from Adam, she knew that it wasn't. It wasn't quite his style. Besides, love at first sight? She didn't even remember the first time she saw Adam. They had known each other since they were in diapers. It had to be from someone else.

Diana smiled softly as she shut her locker and headed off to class. She had to admit that it felt nice to have someone's undivided attention.

Somewhere out there, she had an admirer.

* * *

Cassie stared out at the roaring ocean. The angry waves thrashed upon the rocky shore below, occasionally spraying the bluff where she was seated with chilly sea water. She had been sitting there for over an hour when she heard the footsteps approach.

"You thinking about jumping?" Nick's voice teased.

"Not this time," Cassie answered seriously, still gazing out onto the blue-gray waters. She wasn't in the mood to joke around. "Why? You ever think about it?" she asked, as Nick sat down beside her.

Nick shook his dark head. "Nah. It's too easy."

"_Easy?_" Cassie repeated. She raised an eyebrow at Nick.

"Yeah, easy. It's the coward's way out." He stared out into the distance, letting their conversation fall to silence. After a minute, he continued, "If I'm going down, I'm going down fighting."

He sounded determined. And a little grim. But Nick was always a fighter. Always.

Fate might have dealt Nick a harsh set of cards, but Cassie knew that he wasn't going to take it lying down. She could see it in his eyes that he would fight it.

He would fight it till the bitter end.

"So what brings you out to this neck of the woods?" Cassie asked, tossing a stone into the ocean below.

"I was cutting class. Then I saw you tear out of the school parking lot like a bat out of hell." He shrugged. "Figured something must have been bothering you."

Cassie glanced at her watch. "That was like--an hour ago."

"Well, I figured you needed some time to cool off." He said this so matter-of-factly that Cassie couldn't help but chuckle a little.

Nick was a lot more intuitive than most people gave him credit for. His routine as the 'Eternal Stoic' masked plenty of inner wisdom. But somehow Cassie had always known that there was more beneath that cool, perfectly controlled surface. She had a feeling she was just beginning to find out.

"And now that I've had some time to cool off...?" Cassie's voice trailed off.

"We get the hell out of here." Nick tossed her a reckless grin and then stood up. "Come on." He offered her a hand and she accepted, pulling herself to her feet.

Part of her wanted to continue to sit on the bluff and wallow in her misery and confusion until the world caved in on itself. But another part of her wanted to put it all out of her mind and go with Nick.

_I didn't cause Logan Bainbridge's death. I didn't!_ Her mind was practically screaming. _It was just a coincidence! _

_But even if it wasn't a coincidence, it certainly wasn't intentional_, a little voice inside her head whispered.

Besides, she couldn't prove it either way. And if she couldn't prove it, then no one could prove it.

_And no one would ever know._

It was a dark thought, but it comforted Cassie nonetheless.

"Are you coming or what?" Nick asked, pausing in his steps.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Cassie said, shaking off her scathing thoughts.

It was then that she noticed a dark head watching them from a window next door. _Sean_.

"Looks like we have an audience," Cassie muttered, nodding toward Number Eleven.

Nick followed her gaze, spotting the figure in the second-story window. "Ah, Sean. That's nothing to worry about. He probably spies on you all the time."

"Hey," cried Cassie, smacking Nick on the arm. "That's not very nice."

"What?" Nick's expression was one of innocence. "It's the truth. He probably doesn't have anything else better to do."

Cassie looked back at the window, but Sean was gone. He probably realized that he had been spotted and had moved.

She hoped that he really didn't spy on her. That would be creepy.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Cassie asked Nick as they headed around the side of her house.

"Perfectly," he replied.

"I don't know," Cassie began, sounding doubtful. "I mean, why would he want to?"

Nick shot her an incredulous look. "Come on, _think_ about it." He made it sound like the answer was totally obvious.

When Cassie didn't respond after a few seconds, Nick began to elaborate. "Sean's a little, geeky guy minding his own business and then one day, this beautiful girl moves in next door. Of course, he's going to spy on her. He thinks she's hot."

Cassie just looked at Nick in disbelief. Finally, she shook her head.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Nick scoffed. "This can't be that original. Don't they make movies about this type of stuff?"

"Not the type of movies _I_ watch, Nick," Cassie laughed.

"Well, you're missing out," he grinned.

They had just reached the end of Cassie's driveway when a black limousine pulled up to the front curb.

Cassie and Nick exchanged glances.

"Expecting company?" Nick asked.

"No," Cassie frowned. "I don't know who it is."

A tinted window in the back rolled down to reveal a smiling Faye.

"Cassie, we were just stopping by to pick you up," Faye murmured in that sultry voice of hers. Then she paused, her hawk-like eyes roving over Nick thoughtfully. "Suzan, Deb, and I are having a girls night and we thought you might like to come. We didn't realize that you had _other plans_."

Faye's tone contained all sorts of insinuations. Cassie felt her cheeks flush as she recalled the rumors that had been circulating school that week. It was obvious that Faye had heard them, too.

It made Cassie realize something. The last thing she needed right now was to be seen out with Nick and get people talking again. She knew it was petty to base her actions on what other people thought, but high school _was_ petty. And those rumors were vicious.

"Anyway, we'll just leave you two _alone_..." Faye's voice cut through Cassie's thoughts. She gave Cassie a long, slow wink and then began to roll up the window.

"Faye, no--wait," Cassie exclaimed. "I want to come."

The raven-haired girl looked momentarily surprised. Her golden eyes widened a bit and then she broke into a full grin. She popped open the door to the limo for Cassie.

"Sorry, Nick," Cassie called pathetically, as she headed towards the limo. "I'll see you around, okay?"

He gave her a slight nod. Cassie noticed that he didn't look disappointed or mad, but then again, Nick was the master of hiding his feelings. His expression was unreadable.

Cassie took a deep breath and then hopped into the limo beside Faye. _Here goes_, she thought. Suzan and Deborah were seated inside, as well.

The limo circled around at the end of the street and then sped down Crowhaven Road, leaving Nick's solitary figure standing in Cassie's driveway.

Suzan handed Cassie a glass of champagne. "Glad you could join us," she said.

"Where are we going?" asked Cassie, as she took a sip of the bubbling drink.

"We are going to play a game." Faye grinned wickedly. "It's called 'Limo.'"

* * *

**A/N--For the Reviewers:**

**greenjuly**--WOW. Thanks for all of your reviews. I'm glad you think that the high school feeling is accurate. I've been out of high school for the last eight years, so sometimes it's hard to remember what it was like--and how everything always felt like it was the end of the world. I think you know what I mean.

I hope I'm not going out of character with Adam, by letting him exhibit some jealousy, etc. I have tried to go into a little more depth with his character, exploring it a bit... but I hope it's not too much away from what L.Jane envisioned. I still think he is an idealized character, I just think he has a tragic flaw--his love for Cassie (and for Diana). He can't seem to control it.

Nope, that wasn't an intentional reference to _The Craft_, either. Although, I do actually own that movie... I hope I didn't unintentionally knock it off.

Actually, Miriam, Clover and Beth aren't truly OCs. They were mentioned in the first book when Cassie described her old friends. However, Beth's last name is in the book is Freeman--I somehow missed that when I read over it last and was then too lazy to go back and change it in my story. The girls didn't have much of a description, so I elaborated on what L.Jane had originally mentioned.

And I'm totally thrilled and flattered that you thought the interactions were so realistic. I'm a huge L.Jane fan, as well, and have been since the early 1990s, but sometimes I thought the same thing. Real kids, or at least kids of my generation, didn't necessarily talk or act the way they did in some of the books. But then again, I'm definitely not a behavior expert.

**reggie, keke, sweetromance123, Toodles, GM, Mia, Pippa, MagikDragon**--I'm so glad that you all are enjoying the story! I'm totally flattered by all of your reviews. I'm sorry it took me so long to update it! I hope you keep reading and letting me know what you think.

**Mystical-Magickal-Wytch**--I'm glad you like the scene with the spell so much. I used to be really good at Latin when I was in high school, but now I don't remember much of anything. I hope I didn't fudge the spell up too badly. ;-) I'm so glad that you think my writing and the plot is getting better. I have so many ideas going through my head... if only I had the time to write them all down. Thanks so much for the review!

**sparkle63**--I always thought that Cassie was pulled to a darker side, as well. That's what I love about her character. She's a good person, but she's not perfect. I think that's something we all can relate to. Anyway, thanks so much for the review!

**xxx Queen of Slayers xxx**--Relax, Cassie's not evil. But you were right--someone did die. The question is, is it Cassie's fault? Anyway, I'm looking forward to checking out some of your fics now that I have a bit of free time. I'm a HUGE Buffy fan.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**A/N**: This chapter talks about some adult themes--there's nothing explicit, but I just thought I would give you a fair warning.

Thanks to all of you who reviewed! It definitely encouraged me to post another chapter so soon. I'm a little pressed for time at the moment, so I'm not going to do individual shout outs, but I really appreciate you all taking the time to let me know what you think. Y'all are awesome.

* * *

Cassie almost choked on her champagne. "Game?"

"Don't tell me that you don't want to play," groaned Faye. She looked over at Suzan and rolled her eyes.

"I don't think I do," admitted Cassie. She'd had enough of Faye's games.

"Ah, Cassie, I had such high hopes for you," Faye sighed dramatically. Then she shook her head with mock disappointment. "I thought you were one of us now, but I should have known that you weren't mature enough for this."

"How did 'Pizza Man He Delivers' have anything to do with maturity?" asked Cassie, already wishing she had never set foot in the limo.

"You tell her, Suzan," Faye commanded. The raven-haired girl leaned back against the black leather interior, nursing some sort of ruby-colored beverage.

Suzan's cerulean eyes lit up. "It was all about_ sexual_ maturity. It's the best kind of maturity there is."

Faye nodded in agreement. Cassie noticed that Deborah didn't say anything. The biker was quietly observing the conversation. A smirk was on her face.

"You're not _uncomfortable_ with sexual maturity, are you?" Faye continued wickedly.

Cassie could feel three sets of eyes studying her carefully. "Of course not," she replied, trying to sound casual.

Faye set her drink aside and leaned forward with interest. "Prove it."

"What?" Cassie looked at the other girl in confusion. _Prove it?_

"Prove to us that you're a big girl--that you're not uncomfortable with sexual maturity. That you're not a namby-pamby little Puritan." Suzan and Deborah snickered at Faye's choice of words. "All you have to do is answer a few little questions."

_No_, thought Cassie. She didn't have to prove anything to Faye. She didn't care what Faye thought. She ought to just get out of the limo at the nearest street corner.

Faye's amber eyes were watching her closely. It was almost as if she expected Cassie to hightail it and run at any second.

Something inside of Cassie stirred. An inner core of solid strength was taking over. She didn't want to be weak or predictable. That was the old Cassie, the crybaby. The new Cassie could face down anything.

If Faye wanted her to prove it, she was up to the challenge.

"Okay," said Cassie, meeting Faye's gaze directly. "I'll answer your _little_ questions."

Deborah grinned. Cassie could tell the biker was impressed that she hadn't backed down from Faye. Cassie smiled back at her.

Faye paused for a moment, shaking her head slowly. She hadn't expected Cassie to agree, but she definitely wasn't disappointed.

"Well, we know those stories about you at school this week were just that--stories," Faye commented. "So we can skip any questions related to that. But I'm wondering where to begin...?"

"The Four W's and the H," Suzan told her.

"Oh, yes, of course. How could I have forgotten?" Faye poured Suzan another glass of champagne. "Cassie, you are going to tell us all about your first time--who, what, when, where and how good."

Her first time? Were they kidding? From the looks on the other girls faces, apparently not.

"There hasn't been a first time," Cassie admitted, feeling a little sheepish when Faye and Suzan gasped with shock.

_I have nothing to be ashamed of_, she told herself. She wouldn't feel like a baby because she was a virgin. She could feel her inner strength harden, like a core of steel.

She would not be intimidated. Not by Faye. Not by anyone.

"You mean, you and Adam never...?" Suzan's voice trailed off. "Even after you found out you were soulmates?" She looked awed.

Cassie shook her head.

"Well, that answers that, I guess." Faye sounded a little disappointed, like her entertainment for the evening had been spoiled. "I didn't think you were sexually mature."

"No, Faye, you asked me if I was uncomfortable with sexual maturity. I proved that I wasn't by talking about it," Cassie corrected. "Besides, we're not through here, anyway. I answered your questions. Now it's my turn." She smiled coolly.

Faye's eyes widened a bit, but she was impressed. Cassie continued with smooth confidence and ease. "Suzan, your first time--who, what, when, where and how good?"

The strawberry-blonde snorted. "I'd rather forget it, but I'll spill." She counted the W's on her fingers as she went along. "Scott Halgren. We went all-the-way. I was sixteen and it was in my basement. It was awful. Now I'll have to start repressing it again."

Cassie could care less about Suzan's answers. She was simply determined to make Suzan and Faye sit in the hot seat. It was only fair. Since Deb hadn't really chipped in, Cassie figured she wouldn't ask her anything.

"Okay, Faye. Now it's your turn," Cassie barked. She took another sip of her champagne and leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs casually. "Tell us about your first time."

"I always start my details with the 'how good,' because that's what's _really_ important," Faye murmured. "My first time was... _hot_. Passionate. Exciting. I'd definitely say it was good."

Cassie tried not to roll her eyes.

"Where?" Faye went on, dragging out her answer. "My room, with the lights out. When? I was fifteen. I was the first of us girls, of course."

Somehow, Cassie wasn't surprised.

"What? We did it all, obviously. And last, but not least, who?" Faye smiled naughtily. "Nick Armstrong."

She said the last part casually, but it hit Cassie like a ton of bricks.

_Nick?_ Cassie knew she shouldn't have been surprised. Faye and Nick used to have an "arrangement" of sorts. But it was one thing to wonder about it in the back of her mind. It was another thing to know for sure.

"That doesn't bother you, does it?" Faye was loving this.

Deborah was watching Cassie's reaction with fascinated interest.

"No," Cassie forced herself to say. She was amazed at how calm her voice sounded. "Why would it?"

Inside, she was struggling not to throw up. She could feel the champagne rolling around in her stomach. Her mouth tasted bitter.

Why did she care who Nick slept with anyway? It was a free country.

She tried to shrug off the horrifying images that were coming to mind. She wouldn't think about Nick and Faye. _She wouldn't! _She found herself latching onto that cool strength from within. She let it guide her to relax again, to breathe, to be calm.

Cassie looked up at Faye with a steel glint in her eyes. "So are we going to play this _game_ or what?"

"Alright!" cheered Deborah, finally breaking her silence. "Game on!"

Faye couldn't resist smiling. "You know, Deborah," she began, "Our driver sucks. This is like _Driving Miss Daisy_ slow, don't you think?"

"Totally," Deborah agreed.

Faye pushed a button and the divider between the driver's seat and the rest of the limo rolled down. "Pull over," Faye ordered.

The driver immediately obeyed, pulling off the road on a random street corner in New Salem.

"Get out," Faye told him.

Cassie was amazed at how fast he complied. The middle-aged guy was up and out of the driver's seat in record time. He left the keys in the ignition.

"_I'll_ drive," Deborah grinned. The biker opened a back door and stepped out, before sliding into the driver's seat. The limo tore away from the curb with a roar as Deborah gunned the engine.

"Now, this is more like it," Faye laughed.

To her own surprise, Cassie laughed, too.

The limo raced down the streets of New Salem as Suzan hit the button to open the sunroof. She and Faye rose out of their seats, and began to lean out of the sunroof. Suzan waved at Cassie to join them.

Cassie stood, feeling a little off balance from the champagne, and then plunged her upper torso through the open sunroof. It was January, so the gusts of air outside were freezing.

"Pick any guy you want," laughed Suzan over the roar of the wind.

Cassie wasn't sure she liked where this game was going, but somewhere inside, her inner voice was telling her to relax.

"That one," Faye said, pointing to a young guy in a ski jacket. He had just left the video store located one block ahead.

Suddenly, the limo screeched to a halt next to him. Cassie wondered how on earth Deborah had managed to hear Faye's choice from the driver's seat.

"Hi there," Faye called down to the guy with the videos.

Whoever he was, he looked to be just a little older than they were, and had thick reddish-brown hair and an attractive, if not truly handsome face. He was gazing up at the three beautiful girls with something resembling awe. He dropped the movies on the ground with several thuds.

"Hi," he replied. He didn't bend over to pick up the DVDs. They were momentarily forgotten. He didn't take his eyes off of Faye, Suzan and Cassie.

"Want to join us?" Faye murmured. Suzan giggled behind her. Cassie watched silently as the guy stepped forward and opened the door to the limo. It was like he couldn't help himself. He didn't even blink.

Cassie followed Suzan and Faye back through the sunroof and into the limo. It was then that she noticed all of the crystals piled into the mini-bar, where ice would normally be stored. The stainless steel bin was filled with garnets and carnelians. Cassie had no idea how she had missed that earlier.

Suzan hastily shut the sunroof. "We'll get more boys later," she assured Cassie.

Faye fingered the star sapphire at her throat. "What's your name?" she asked the boy, cozying up next to him.

"Ross," he said, swallowing nervously.

"Now, Ross," Faye cooed. "There's no reason to be frightened. We don't bite. Do we, Suzan?"

Suzan seemed to ponder this for a moment. She chewed her lip. "Well, sometimes we do."

"Yes, I guess you're right," sighed Faye in agreement. She sat back thoughtfully. "Sometimes we _do_ bite. But if we bite you, Ross, I promise--you'll _like_ it." Faye leaned forward and nipped at his ear. Ross sat perfectly still, like a deer trapped in headlights.

Cassie wanted to reach out and tell Faye to stop, that this was wrong, but she couldn't. Maybe she had lost her nerve. Maybe it was the champagne. Or maybe inside, she secretly wanted to see what would happen. Whatever the excuse, Cassie couldn't help but watch in both horror and fascination as Faye continued.

Suzan turned on the stereo. A soothing, hypnotic rhythm poured out of the speakers. It was sexy. Sultry. Dark.

"It's _so_ hot in here, isn't it, Ross?" Faye whispered. Her voice was barely audible above the music, but it contained a power that was undeniable. "Why don't you get out of these annoying clothes?" She tugged on the sleeve of his coat.

Ross nodded slowly and unzipped his jacket. He gently shrugged it off his shoulders and began pulling his shirt over his head.

Cassie looked at Suzan in alarm.

Mistaking Cassie's expression for one of enthusiasm, Suzan said, "Now we just sit back and enjoy the show. That's the game."

When Ross began sliding out of his jeans, Cassie knew that she couldn't sit there any longer. "Stop!" she cried out. "Ross, you don't have to do this."

Ross froze, his hands on the waistband of his boxer shorts. He blinked at her curiously. Faye was frowning. Suzan sighed and leaned back in her seat.

"You don't understand, Cassie. He _wants_ to do this. Don't you, Ross?" Faye clasped his naked shoulder with her long scarlet fingernails.

"Yes," Ross said. He looked as emotionless as a zombie.

"That's because you're making him," Cassie insisted.

Faye rolled her eyes. "You have so much to learn."

"I don't want to learn anything from you," Cassie replied. Then she called to the front, "Deb, pull over. I'm getting out."

Deborah careened to a stop next to the parking lot of IHOP and Cassie hurried out of the limo, disgusted that she had actually participated in some of their "game." She wanted to pull Ross out with her and save him from humiliating himself, but he was in Faye's clutches, and Cassie knew it was a fight she wouldn't win.

The limo peeled away with a screech of tires and Cassie stomped toward the entrance of the restaurant. There was a pay phone just inside the front doors. She would need to call someone and get a ride home.

She was almost to the doorway, when she saw something glimmering out of the corner of her eye. It was something black and shiny, laying on the pavement and reflecting the streetlights overhead.

Cassie walked over to it and picked it up. It was a piece of onyx, about the size of a quarter. _Someone must have dropped this_, Cassie thought. It was beautiful and smooth, polished to a sheen. It felt cold and hard inside her palm. She placed it inside her coat pocket and continued inside to use the phone.

Cassie paused when she reached the phone and picked up the receiver. She couldn't call home. Her mother would want to know how on earth she had gotten into town and why she needed a ride home. Then she would go off on another tirade about Cassie being grounded.

Cassie needed another option. Her thoughts instinctively went to Diana, but the less Cassie was around Diana at the moment, the better. So Diana was out.

She could call Adam or Nick. She knew that either of them would come immediately. However, it would be plainly wrong of her to call Nick after ditching him earlier. She wasn't that selfish, was she? So it was decided. She was calling Adam.

* * *

Adam showed up around fifteen minutes later.

"Thanks so much for picking me up," Cassie exclaimed, as she slid into the front passenger seat of the Jeep Cherokee.

"It's not a problem, Cass. You should know that," he told her. He put the car into gear and started toward home. Then he looked at her again. "So how did you end up stranded at IHOP?"

Cassie sighed. She should have known that he would ask. And since he was giving her a ride home, maybe he had a right to. "You don't want to know."

"Try me," Adam replied.

"I was stupid. I got in a limo with Faye, Deborah and Suzan and immediately regretted it," Cassie confessed. "I didn't want to be part of their game, so I got out here."

Adam didn't say anything. He simply focused on the road.

"What? Are you mad at me for going with them?" Cassie asked.

"No, Cass. I'm not mad at you."

"Then what?" Cassie demanded. She could sense that he was upset about something.

"I'm just trying to figure out what's going on," he said, sounding frustrated. "I feel like I don't know where we stand."

"I feel the same way," Cassie admitted softly.

He gave her a wry smile. "I guess we'll figure it out, won't we?"

"Yeah," Cassie nodded. "We will."

Adam reached over and clasped her left hand with his right. It was a simple gesture, but it was a sweet one, nonetheless. He didn't let go until they reached her house. Then he turned to face her.

"I don't know what it is, but I've just felt so... _apart_ from you lately. It's weird," Adam confessed.

Cassie's heart thudded heavily in her chest. But Adam didn't know about the spell. That much was obvious.

"Maybe I've just missed you," he continued. "I've barely seen you in weeks."

"We can change that," Cassie murmured, falling once again on that inner calm. She fingered the onyx in her pocket, noting that it was now warm to the touch from being so close to her skin.

"I hope so," Adam replied.

Gazing into his ocean eyes, Cassie knew that he meant it. At that moment, he wasn't thinking about Diana at all.

Cassie leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. Adam responded immediately, returning the kiss in full. Cassie clung to him tightly, the passion inside her beginning to ignite.

It was Adam who finally broke their embrace. He was out of breath. "I think you should go inside," he said. "I don't want your mother to catch us making out in the driveway."

Cassie nodded. "You're probably right."

She leaned forward and gave Adam one last kiss on the lips, before getting out of the car. She could feel his eyes following her as she headed up the sidewalk to the front door.

He wanted her. There was no denying it.

Whether Diana knew it or not, the competition was on.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

The Imbolc ritual performed in this chapter is from the article _How to Honor Brighid at Imbolc_ by Patti Wingington. I take no credit for it and am not profiting from it in any manner.

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed. I truly appreciated each and every one of them. It would take way too much space to give each person an individual shout out here, but please know that they meant a lot to me.

I sincerely apologize that it's been a really, REALLY, long time since I last updated. My life is crazy, but I'll try to be better about it in the future!

* * *

"That is _so_ romantic, Diana," sighed Laurel, as she stuffed several green candles into her tote bag. "I wish I had a secret admirer."

"Whoever he is, he certainly has good taste in poetry," added Melanie. "Christopher Marlowe is a personal favorite of mine."

Diana smiled and placed the handwritten note on top of her dresser. "Well, it was a very kind gesture at least."

Cassie forced herself to nod in agreement. The secret admirer bit_ was_ a kind gesture, but not too surprising. Diana was practically perfect, what guy _wouldn't_ have a crush on her? 

_And how do you compete with that? _she thought to herself.

Feeling slightly dejected already, Cassie fingered the smooth piece of onyx she carried in her jacket pocket. When she had first picked it up the other night, she didn't have any intention of becoming so attached to it. However, she soon found that she couldn't quite part with it. She felt drawn to it somehow, like it was a part of her. This strange sense of attachment she felt kept her from putting the piece in her jewelry box with the various other gems and crystals she possessed.

She knew what onyx was used for--"_Surrendering to your shadow self,"_ Faye had once told her. She hadn't forgotten. But this particular stone made her feel strong and powerful. It felt like a crutch to help get her through these difficult weeks. She was certain that she could carry it for a little while and not slip over to the dark side, so to speak.

A little bit of onyx couldn't really hurt, could it?

At the moment, the small stone was becoming warm from her grip. She focused her mind on it's texture and the weight of it in her palm. Slowly, she could feel her confidence returning.

So what if Diana was the definition of perfection? It obviously wasn't enough to hold Adam's attention entirely.

And besides--Cassie was just getting started. Hopefully, after pursuing him wholeheartedly, Adam Conant would only have eyes for her.

"You seem lost in thought tonight, Cassie."

Cassie looked up to see Laurel focused on her. "I was just thinking about tonight's ceremony," she lied.

Somehow she had gotten roped into helping set up the night's Imbolc ceremony with Diana, Melanie and Laurel. Normally she wouldn't have minded so much, but like it or not, Diana was her competition. It was hard pretending that everything was peachy.

Cassie glanced over at Diana, who was busy gathering other necessities for the ceremony and humming slightly to herself. The blond girl looked so serene and beautiful. Cassie honestly wouldn't have been surprised if cartoon birds had flown into the room and helped her pack. Diana certainly resembled a Disney princess.

For a brief second, Cassie's heart felt a twinge of regret that things had worked out this way. It really was a shame that Diana had to be her enemy, but they couldn't quite share Adam either.

"Ah, yes," Laurel continued, interrupting Cassie's thoughts. "Tonight we get to perform a ritual that honors the goddess Brighid. She's the Irish goddess of the home and the hearth."

"And she is also the Protector of the Home, the Keeper of the Flame, and a goddess of holy wells and springs," Melanie said. "Anyway, I think we're all set. Are you guys ready to go?"

"Yes, I believe so," replied Diana. Cassie and Laurel nodded.

"So why do we celebrate Brighid?" asked Cassie, as the girls headed out of Diana's room and toward the beach.

"The ceremony is really our way of saying goodbye to winter and welcoming the spring," Diana explained. "We do this every February second."

"It's funny how that coincides with Groundhog's Day," Cassie pointed out.

"Well, it's not really a coincidence. A lot of pagan holidays managed to influence holidays that are commonly celebrated today," Melanie began.

As they exited Diana's house and stepped into the night, Cassie tried to listen politely to Melanie's lecture on the origins of the Gregorian calendar.

It took a lot of effort not to yawn.

* * *

The Imbolc ritual was fairly simple. Cassie, Diana, Melanie and Laurel prepared an altar with a Brighid's cross, daffodils, fresh twigs, red and white ribbon and lots of red, white and green candles. Diana placed a white candle in the center of the altar to represent the goddess, Laurel set out a plate of oatcakes and Melanie poured a cup of milk. After the entire coven had gathered on the beach, Cassie handed each person an unlit candle before drawing a circle in the sand with the altar in the center. Faye then called on the elements and Diana began to recite:

"_Today is Imbolc, the day of Midwinter._

_The cold has begun to fade away _

_and the days grow longer._

_This is a time in which the Earth is quickening,_

_like the womb of Brighid,_

_birthing the fire after the darkness."_

Diana then leaned forward and lit the white candle that represented Brighid before continuing:

"_Bright blessings at midwinter to all!_

_Brighid has returned with the sacred flame,_

_watching over home and hearth._

_This is a time of rebirth and fertility, _

_and as the earth grows full of life,_

_may you find abundance on your own path._

_Imbolc is the season of lambing, of new life_

_and a time to celebrate the nurturing and warmth of Brighid."_

Diana lifted the cup of milk toward the night sky, making an offering to the goddess. Diana then took a sip from the cup before handing it to Cassie. "May Brighid give her blessings to you this season," she smiled.

Cassie took a sip of the milk before passing it to Deborah, who was sitting beside her, and repeated the saying. After everyone had taken a sip, Diana offered the oatcakes to the goddess in the same manner and then passed them around the circle, as well. Lastly, each member of the coven lit his or her candle from the white candle in the center of the altar.

For a while, they watched their candles burning into the sand. Eventually talk turned to general Club matters, since the entire Circle was present.

"Does anyone still think that Portia is plotting some kind of revenge for 'Mr. Brunswick'?" asked Laurel, her elfin face thoughtful.

"After her brother's car accident? I doubt it," Suzan responded.

"Well, I think we should be on the lookout, just in case." Adam's eyes focused on Cassie. She knew he was still concerned about her being Portia's main target.

Cassie quickly looked away from him. Just thinking about Logan Bainbridge's death made her feel like crying and that was something she certainly didn't want Adam to see.

She fingered the onyx in her pocket once again. _I am not responsible_, she told herself for the millionth time.

The rest of the evening was filled with small talk. Chris and Doug bragged about a pair of concert tickets they'd won, Suzan informed the girls about her new mineral foundation make-up, and even Faye brought up her newest prey—Carl Pendergrass—the poor sap.

No one mentioned the prophecies. Cassie supposed it would have spoiled the mood. But she did wonder how Nick was dealing with his.

She glanced over at his stoic figure, sitting on the opposite side of the circle with the Hendersons and Sean. His perfectly carved face could have been a statue for all of the emotion it displayed.

She wondered if he was even dealing with his prophecy at all or if he was just in denial, simply choosing to ignore the grave prediction.

_How does one cope with a death sentence? I mean, really...? _But her inner musings were futile. It was impossible to know what was going through Nick's head.

And regardless of how Nick was coping, the thought of his time running out soon sent a cold shiver down Cassie's spine.

She wasn't so sure that she could handle Nick's prophecy either.

* * *

As the meeting began to break up and the coven members started heading home, Cassie managed to catch a moment alone with Adam.

_Game on_, she thought to herself. Now was the perfect time to start winning Adam over to her team. And she had a good idea how to start.

"What's up, Cassie?" Adam asked casually. He gave her a wry smile.

"Well, I've been thinking," Cassie began slowly, acting as though she was coming up with all of her words on the spot. In reality, she had been planning her approach for the last two days. She didn't have a lot of experience when it came to getting guys and this guy she _had_ to get. She needed to be prepared. "And like we talked about the other night in the car," she paused, giving him a chance to recall their minor make-out session. "We haven't really spent a lot of time together lately."

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we need to change that, don't we?"

It looked like things were starting to head in the right direction. Cassie smiled.

"So I was thinking that we should go to the Valentine's Day dance together next weekend." Cassie sounded smooth and confident. Damn, she was proud of herself for not flubbing it up with nervous energy.

But her smile quickly faded when she saw that Adam wasn't returning her enthusiasm. Instead, he looked a little grim.

"I'm sorry, Cassie," he said, "but I'm going to have to turn you down."

He was rejecting her! Cassie couldn't believe it. _This was not how things were supposed to happen!_

Cassie gulped, trying to remain calm. _Be casual_, she told herself. _Act like it's no big deal._

_No big deal?!_ She had her hopes set on going to the dance with him. It was going to be her first big step toward convincing him to be with her. Somehow in her mind she had imagined it to be the gateway to her future happiness.

_Well, not anymore_. Cassie could feel the disappointment swelling within her. She hoped she wouldn't burst.

"W-why not?" Cassie stammered as she tried to keep her voice even. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."

_Please don't say you're already going with Diana. Please don't say it. Please._

"I just think it's probably best if I go solo. It will be less complicated this way," Adam replied. His blue-green eyes searched her face. "I can tell that you're disappointed, Cassie, and I'm sorry."

"No, it's OK. I understand," she mumbled in response, feeling at least some relief that Diana didn't have a date with him either,

"Anyway, I've got to go. I told my grandmother that I would fix a few things around the house tonight."

"Please tell her that I said hello." Cassie forced a tight smile.

As Adam headed up the rocky shore, Cassie tried to tell herself that this wasn't a bad sign.

_It's just a stupid dance, right?_

It didn't mean that he had chosen Diana over her. Not by a long shot.

Besides, just because he wasn't going to the dance _with_ her didn't mean that she couldn't dance with him there or spend time with him. She would still have an opportunity to start winning him over for good.

And she would be sure to look irresistible.

Cassie's lips twisted into a wicked smile.

This war was far from over. And she wasn't about to wave a white flag yet.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It really means a lot to me to hear that people like this story so much. I know it's been a while since I last updated, so thank you for being so patient. I've left some messages for you all at the end of this chapter (so that those who don't want to read it, don't have to scroll through it).

Also, I've switched to a new laptop which runs Linux and OpenOffice. The spellchecker totally sucks at catching any typos in comparison to Microsoft Word, so I'm sorry if I've missed any mistakes in here. Don't hate me. ;-)

* * *

Cassie was just heading out the front doors of the school building when she spotted Adam leaning against the trophy case in the front lobby. He saw her and smiled.

"Hey," she called, making her way over to him. "What are you up to?" Maybe she'd be able to talk him into going out with her this afternoon. She desperately needed to put her plan in motion. If she was ever going to win him over, she needed to spend some time with him at least.

"Just waiting on someone," he shrugged casually.

"Oh," Cassie replied, feeling a little dejected. He obviously had plans already. She glanced around the crowded corridor. School had let out only minutes before; most people were on their way out. "Who are you waiting on?"

She just had to ask, even though she had the feeling that she already knew the answer.

"Diana," he said, confirming her suspicion. His expression looked slightly apologetic, as if he was aware of the awkwardness of it all. "I'd invite you to hang out with us tonight, but we have to study for our English exam tomorrow."

"Sure, I understand completely," Cassie muttered lamely, but inside her thoughts were laced with sarcasm. Yeah, like she'd actually join them anyway. Hadn't three been a crowd for, like, centuries already? Didn't he get the memo?

Maybe he was just trying to be polite. Adam was Mr. Chivalrous, after all.

Cassie knew that she should probably head on home, but she couldn't force herself to walk away from him just yet. Her life had been turned upside down too many times in the last few months and she craved to lean on him for just a few minutes. She needed someone to latch onto, someone who could help take care of things and hold her, and make her feel alright. And she wanted that person to be Adam. She wanted that so badly, but as she studied his intricate profile, she had to admit to herself that Adam was also the source of most of her turmoil.

"So where is Diana anyway?" asked Cassie, still hesitant to leave.

Adam bit his lip. It was obvious he didn't want to answer. "She's talking to Faye."

Something about his manner made Cassie want to press the issue further. "About what?"

Adam's blue-gray eyes locked on hers. He looked a little sheepish. "About you," he replied.

Cassie was confused. "What? Why?"

His eyes gazed up toward the ceiling. "I sort of mentioned that you were out the other night with Faye, Deborah and Suzan and Diana got it into her head that Faye has put you up to something."

"That's ridiculous," Cassie exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, can you really blame her?" Adam continued. "You _have_ been acting a little differently lately. Everyone thinks so. Diana is just trying to look out for you."

Cassie shook her head. "I am just fine, thank you." Her voice was cold. "And I can take care of myself."

Adam simply stared at her, surprised by her harsh reply.

_Great, just what I need. _Cassie groaned inwardly._ Now the boy I love thinks I'm a bitch and Diana is off interrogating Faye on my behalf._

Wait a minute.

_Diana is interrogating Faye about me? What if Faye tells her about the spell—the dark magic?_

_She wouldn't dare,_ a voice inside Cassie's head responded. _She knows you'd rat her out about the virus if she told._

Maybe. But one could never be sure about anything when dealing with Faye Chamberlain. Maybe she no longer cared who found out about the virus, then she'd have no problem telling Diana all about Cassie's little secret.

Either way, it was a risk Cassie wasn't willing to take. She had to stop Diana from questioning Faye, just in case.

"Maybe I ought to talk to Diana, myself," Cassie said suddenly. It seemed like a reasonable excuse to interrupt their meeting. "Do you know where Diana and Faye are?"

"The pool," Adam replied. "Faye is stalking that new guy. Apparently, he's a swimmer."

"Well, let's go." Cassie half-dragged Adam down the hallway.

* * *

"I thought I might find you here," Diana said as she climbed the first few rows of bleachers and sat down beside her dark-haired cousin.

Faye didn't even bother to look up. Her golden hawk-like eyes were fixated on a tall young man who was swimming laps in the pool below. "Carl has a free seventh period, so he uses it for extra practice."

"But you have Physics seventh period," Diana pointed out.

"Yes, I know," Faye replied, still riveted on the swimmer. "But seeing Carl in a speedo is so much more important to me."

Diana resisted the urge to sigh. Faye was so... _Faye_.

Some things would never change, she supposed.

"Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about Cassie," Diana began.

"What about her?" Faye yawned lazily. She stretched her arms out in front of her briefly.

"Well, I heard that--" Diana started, but Faye stood up abruptly.

"Hold that thought, Diana," she murmured. "I'll be back in a bit." Then she sauntered down the bleachers in a smooth gait.

Diana leaned back and groaned in frustration. _So much for talking to Faye_.

She watched Faye approach the Pendergrass boy as he was getting out of the pool. Diana had to admit that his body was beautifully muscled, like most serious swimmers. She couldn't help but admire the view, at least just a little bit, from where she was sitting.

She glanced up to see that Carl had caught her looking at him. He grinned and shot her a brief nod in her direction.

Slightly embarrassed, Diana felt her cheeks color. She quickly looked away. By the time she looked back she saw Faye trying to thread an arm around him as he walked toward the locker room.

_That poor guy_, thought Diana. _He has no idea who he's dealing with_.

She hoped, for his sake, that this time Faye would play nice.

She sat for a few minutes, waiting for Faye to return. But Faye didn't come back.

_Certainly, she didn't follow him into the boy's locker room_, Diana thought. But knowing Faye, she couldn't be sure.

With a sigh, Diana stood up. _ Oh, well, _she thought. There would be time to talk to Faye later. She and Adam needed to study and he was already waiting on her.

She was just walking past the pool when she heard the splash.

Startled, Diana jumped reflexively and glanced over at the water. But there was nothing there--only a series of endless ripples in cerulean-tinted water.

_How strange_.

But the longer she looked at it, the more it seemed like there actually _was_ something in the water. Something right in the epicenter of the rippling circles. It was like a little black polka dot sinking to the bottom, only it was morphing into a ribbon-like streak as it sank.

Diana couldn't believe her eyes. She stepped closer to the pool and bent to get a closer look.

Suddenly, a strong force knocked into her from behind. The hard shove caught her off guard and she tumbled head-first into the water.

The chlorine stung her eyes as she struggled to figure out which way was up in her confusion. _Follow the bubbles_, an ages-old swimming lesson instructor had once told her. _ Don't panic_.

Diana ignored the dead-weight of her sneakers and kicked her way toward the surface, following the direction that her bubbles rose. She could feel a slow burning start in her chest. She hadn't gotten a breath before going under. Her lungs were quickly becoming taxed.

Thankfully, she was just below the surface of the water now. She was _almost_ there...

Just then a strong hand clasped her ankle, yanking her back under several feet.

Diana's heart thudded loudly in her chest. _Someone was pulling her down!_ She kicked out frantically, trying to get away.

_She couldn't breathe, for goodness sakes!_ They had to let her go now. Whoever they were, they had to stop this crazy game that they were playing! She couldn't_ breathe_!

She couldn't see anyone below, but that didn't change the fact that she was being held somehow.

Panic was starting to well up inside Diana.

The pain in her chest was close to unbearable now; the burning inside; the intrinsic yearning for air, for life was unbelievable. Everything inside Diana was focused on one thing now—the need to breathe, which had seemed so unimportant until she couldn't do it any longer.

Water was surrounding her. If she took a breath--as her body was so desperately begging her to do--that's all she would get. Water.

_Water. _

_Think, Diana! Think!_

The pain was unreal. She didn't want to die! _Goddess!_

_Ocean and sea,_

_protect me._

_Rain and water,_

_save your daughter._

It wasn't her best work by far, but under the circumstances it was the best she could do. She thought the verse over several times in her head. To her infinite relief, the hold on her ankle loosened suddenly and she was able to kick free.

She hit the surface soon thereafter and gasped, coughing and choking. The cool air was doing little to soothe her parched lungs.

_I have to get out of here_, she thought. She had just started for the edge of the pool, when she felt a sharp tugging on her legs.

_Oh, no! Not again!_

Her body was already so exhausted from struggling below and the lack of oxygen. If she could just make it to the ladder...

_Ocean and sea,_

_protect me._

_Rain and water,_

_save your daughter._

She repeated this over and over in her head, as she tried to kick free of whatever invisible force was clinging to her. But it was no use. Her spell was futile.

Whatever was down below was stronger than she was. And it was winning.

"_Help me!_" Diana cried out. "_Somebody, help!_"

Her screams echoed around the deserted bleachers as she was once again, pulled beneath the surface.

Diana struggled in vain. And when the burning in her chest finally overwhelmed her, her body gasped automatically, filling her lungs with water.

The darkness came next and Diana gave into it gratefully.

* * *

"The door is locked," said Cassie. She released the door handle to the school's aquatics center and sighed in frustration.

"That's odd," commented Adam, as he stepped forward to pull at the handle. "It's supposed to be open until seven o'clock every night. It says so right here." His finger tapped a flyer that was stuck to the over-sized metal door.

Cassie leaned closer to look at the posting and then took a peek through the vertical window adjacent to the door frame.

What she saw next, knocked the wind out of her.

There was a blond girl floating in the pool, face down; the Dead Man's Float.

"No," gasped Cassie, shaking her head in horror. She recognized that purple cashmere sweater that was partly submerged. Diana had lent it to her last semester.

But it couldn't be... it _couldn't_ be!

Cassie grabbed at Adam's arm. "What?" he asked, seeing her expression.

"_Diana_!" she exclaimed breathlessly, and began pounding on the door. "We've got to help her!"

Adam lost every ounce of color in his face when he saw Diana's lifeless form through the window. He kicked and pulled and beat at the door like a wild person, but it wouldn't budge. It was made of solid steel. There was no way he could break it down. "DIANA!" he screamed.

Cassie's vision was blurring. Not only was she crying, she was on the verge of passing out. Waves of dizziness were beginning to take over.

She couldn't cope with this. She just _couldn't_.

But she had to do _something_.

"DIANA!" Adam kept crying out. It was the most pitiful sound Cassie had ever heard.

"Give me your hand," Cassie said. He barely heard her. Cassie had to pry his left hand off the useless door handle.

She squeezed it tightly and place her own hand over the door lock.

She didn't know what she was doing. But she had to try something, damn it! Diana was dying! She could already be...

_NO!_ She wouldn't think it! She _wouldn't_.

She could feel the onyx in her pocket, like a flicker of flame against her skin. Cassie didn't mutter any words, but deep inside she called on the surge of Power that had been radiating inside of her since she performed the spell in her bedroom. She could feel it roiling around in her veins, coalescing into a force unknown. She centered all of it on the stubborn lock and supplemented it with the Power emanating from Adam's hand.

Within seconds the steel door had blown off it's hinges, splintering the wooden frame around it. Cassie and Adam were too frantic to be amazed at what they had done. They dashed inside just in time to see a fully-clothed Carl Pendergrass pulling Diana out of the water and lying her on the cement floor. Faye was behind him.

"She's not breathing," Carl said, his voice trembling slightly. He looked up at Faye. "Call 911."

Faye ran to find a phone as Carl began mouth to mouth resuscitation. Adam fell to his knees beside them. Tears were rolling down his cheeks.

Cassie looked on in shock. It was the only thing that she could do.

"She still has a pulse," Carl stated, between breaths.

Adam nodded numbly, his eyes focused on Diana's limp form.

After what seemed like ages to Cassie, but was probably only a minute or two in reality, Diana began coughing up water. She heaved in big, gulps of air, with a loud wheezing sound.

Cassie had never been more relieved in her entire life. Diana was alive! _She was alive! _And that was the only thing that mattered. Cassie couldn't believe how stupid she had been to think of Diana as her enemy.

She loved Diana. Diana was her best friend and always would be.

Cassie began to cry harder. What on earth had she gotten herself into lately?

"Diana," Adam exclaimed, clasping her to his chest as she tried to sit up. He was still crying, too. "Thank you," he said to Carl.

Carl nodded. His hazel eyes were looking at Diana intently, as if ensuring that she was OK.

Cassie threw her arms around Adam and Diana both.

"It was holding me under the water," Diana sobbed. "I couldn't breathe. I couldn't g-get away."

"What was?" asked Carl, looking around the empty room.

"Nevermind," said Diana softly, remembering that there was an Outsider present. She reached out a hand to him. "Thank you." He clasped it and held it for a few minutes, until Faye reappeared.

Cassie, Adam, and Diana sat in a modified group-hug until the paramedics arrived. The paramedics examined Diana and offered to take her to the hospital, but she insisted that she was fine now. She let Adam lead her out of the aquatics facility to drive her home.

Cassie stared after them feeling both immensely relieved and yet somewhat alone at the same time.

Carl was staring after them, too. He looked over at Cassie. "That guy must be Diana's boyfriend, right?"

Cassie shrugged. "Used to be."

"They were together since we were kids," said Faye. Then she glanced at Cassie. "But some things change."

Carl stared after Adam and Diana again. "And some things don't," he replied. He sounded slightly disappointed.

Then his eyes narrowed in on the splintered door frame and the heavy steel door laying on the concrete in front of it.

"How the hell did that happen?" he asked.

* * *

**For the reviewers:**

**kayleebug012, doubleA, latinlady, BetterThanNothing, 123456789, RoryAceHayden147, I'mAmazinglyCool, Nicola-Tee-, bow2mepunymortals, Iritacco, sparkle63, AngelAspen, WhiteGardenia:** I hate to do a group response, since it sounds generic, but I'm trying not to make people scroll through tons of author's notes. Anyway, thank you all so much for all of the compliments. I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story. If you have any individual questions, shoot me a PM. I'm way quicker about responding to those than I am about updating this story. Thanks so much for reviewing!

**RaeMorte:** Wow, I'm completely flattered by what you said in your review. Yeah, I totally wish I was L.J. Smith—she's created some of the most amazing characters ever—Ash, Damon, Diana, Nick, Stefan, Faye... basically all of her creations are awesome. But I'm just plain old me. A former lawyer (that's barrister for those of you in the UK)-turned stay-at-home mom and wanna-be author. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the story so much. Thanks so much for the review!

**-2d2la-:** The Vampire Diaries were the first L.J. Smith books that I ever read, and I read them for the first time back in '94 or '95. They have always been my absolute favorite series by L.J. Smith and I have read them so many times over the years that I know most of the lines by heart. I hate to break it to you, but as much as I love Damon (he may be my most favorite L.J. Smith character out of all of them), I am an Elena and Stefan fan. Somehow, I wasn't really into the whole Damon and Bonnie craze either. I always thought he should have gotten with Meredith somehow, since she was the one girl that wasn't impressed by his charms. Who knows? Maybe I'm weird. Anyway, I was originally going to write a VD fic, but there were so few SC fics at that time that I was desperate for a good SC fic and decided to write this one instead. After this is over though, I'm thinking writing either a VD fic or a good old Ash and Mary-Lynnette reunited, even though it's way overdone. What do you think? I'm glad you're still reading this anyway! :) Thanks!

**mystical-magickal-wytch:** I think your assessment of Cassie is pretty spot on. I'm so glad that you're still keeping up with this story. Your opinion really means a lot to me! Thanks for the review.

**kaylamarie2012:** I loved your suggestion! hehe Oh, if only things were that simple, huh? I'm glad you like the story so much. And yes, Cassie knows she broke both bonds. She did this because she knows that Adam can only pick one person. So either way someone was going to feel awful for the rest of their lives. This way he can pick whoever, and the loser isn't doomed. So basically, Cassie, Adam and Diana are free-agents so-to-speak. Only Adam and Diana don't know it yet. And yes, what's going on with Nick? For that answer, you'll have to keep reading and find out. ;-)

**xxx Queen of Slayers xxx:** It's no worries. I appreciate you taking the time out to read my story and give me your honest opinion. I might not agree, but I definitely respect that. Thanks for the review!

**Dreamlover1102**: Sorry if that part was confusing, but it was Adam who mentioned his grandmother. So, yes, Cassie's grandma is still dead (unfortunately). I'm sorry I haven't gotten a chance to read and review the second chapter of your story yet! I haven't forgotten it thought! Thanks for the review!

And to anyone that I missed—thanks so much for reading!


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! There are way too many people to give a shout out to here, but you guys are truly awesome. Thanks for not giving up on the story even though I've been so bad about updating recently. This chapter was extra long, so I broke it up into three parts and decided to post it all at once. I hope that makes up for some of the delay in updating.

Also, I'll just give you a brief warning: some adult issues are mentioned in these chapters, but nothing explicit. If you are uncomfortable with that, don't read it.

Anyway, onto the story… _And as you'll soon find out, things in Cassie's world are about to kick into overdrive..._ Cassie and Nick fans, please don't despair yet. It gets better. I promise.

Let me know what you think.

* * *

Adam and Diana had been inseparable lately.

Although Cassie was eternally grateful that Diana was alive and well, it was still hard to watch Adam and Diana dote on each other. She tried hard not to let it bother her, but it was really taking its toll.

_There's no way that Adam is going to choose you now_, a little voice inside her head kept whispering. _Not after everything that's happened. Not when he's come so close to losing Diana and realized she means the world to him._

Cassie had to admit it. Her chances of being with Adam were looking grim. She had to do something and soon, before she lost Adam for good.

"Alright, Cassie, I can't take another night of you sulking at the dinner table," her mother said.

Cassie looked up from her plate of untouched food. Even if she hadn't been upset, her mother's meatloaf and mashed potatoes weren't all that appetizing.

"Is there anything you would like to talk about?" her mom continued.

Cassie shook her head.

The older woman sighed. She knew Cassie was holding back on her, but she wasn't going to push it. Instead she moved on; changing the subject. "Something unexpected has come up at work. Lydia has gotten terribly sick and is unable to go to the conference in Atlanta this weekend. They need me to take her place. Can I count on you to be on your best behavior while I am gone?"

"Yeah, Mom, I'll be fine," responded Cassie.

Her mother looked unsure. "I'm trusting you, Cass. Please don't disappoint me."

"I won't," Cassie promised.

After dinner Cassie decided that she would call Adam and see if he wanted to hang out. They hadn't done anything alone together in ages.

His grandmother answered on the third ring.

"He's at Diana's house," she informed Cassie. Her voice sounded cheerful, as if all were right in the world.

"Thanks," Cassie replied and then hung up.

A lump was forming in her throat. She swallowed hard, but it wouldn't go away. She could feel the tears starting to come.

She didn't want to be a crybaby about this. She really didn't. But she just didn't know what else to do.

Her eyes landed on the chalcedony rose that Adam, and later Diana, had given to her. It was sitting on top of her dresser with a smattering of other stones. She walked over and reached out to pick it up, but instead she found her fingers closing around the shiny piece of onyx that she had discovered a few weeks ago.

She hadn't intended to pick up the onyx. It was almost as if her hand had acted on autopilot, without any instruction from Cassie at all. The dark stone felt right in her hand, like it belonged there or something.

She had been trying to consciously limit the amount of time she had been carrying it, as she was aware of its negative side effects. But right now she found that by focusing on the stone she was able to calm herself some and find her center of gravity.

_Harnessing my Chi_, thought Cassie, remembering Beth's New Age parent's out in California.

Suddenly she had an idea. Cassie wasn't very good at chasing boys, but Faye certainly was. And wasn't it Faye herself who warned Cassie not to sit idly by—that she had to fight for Adam?

As much as Cassie hated to admit it, she needed Faye's help. If Cassie didn't do something and _fast_, she was going to lose Adam for good.

Cassie stuffed the piece of onyx into her pocket and then picked up the phone. She hastily punched in the number for Faye's private line and took a deep breath.

"Hi, Faye," she began, "I need your help."

* * *

"Well, I have to admit, in most areas Diana has you beat," Faye said, sitting down casually on Cassie's dusty rose bedspread. "No offense," she added.

"None taken," replied Cassie, trying to remain level-headed. She was well aware that Diana was perfect. Who could measure up next to that?

"But there is something that you can offer Adam that Diana can't. Or won't, I guess I should say," Faye continued.

"What's that?" asked Cassie.

"Sex," said Faye. She sounded very matter-of-fact about it.

"_What?_" Cassie looked affronted. "Are you kidding me? I'm not going to have sex with Adam just to keep him. That's ridiculous. It's degrading."

"It's the one thing you've got," Faye responded. "It's not my fault if the truth hurts."

"Get out, Faye. I should never have asked you for help." Cassie started toward the door. She would force Faye out if she had to.

Faye didn't get up. "Relax, Cassie, and listen to me, would you? You asked for my help, didn't you? So shut up and take it."

Not sure of how to respond, Cassie shut up.

"You love Adam. Adam loves you. You're soulmates, right? What's wrong with getting physical?" Those amber hawk-like eyes were blinking thoughtfully as she spoke.

Faye _did_ kind of have a point. Cassie's heart fluttered in her chest for a moment. She and Adam… could they? Should they?

"And you know how honorable Adam is. He would never abandon you after that. He would stand by your side forever." Faye smirked. "Problem solved."

That much was true. Cassie knew it. But it was still wrong to manipulate Adam like that.

She couldn't do that to him. She just couldn't.

"But that's not all. There's a bonus." Faye was still talking, only now her face was lit with excitement.

Cassie was opening her mouth to tell Faye she didn't care and she wasn't going to do it, bonus or not, when Faye reached inside her jacket and pulled out a black velvet bag. With a quick tug on the bag's drawstrings, the raven-haired girl poured a myriad of stones onto the bedspread.

There were lots of rubies and garnets, several carnelians and pink diamonds and even a few pieces of onyx here and there. Many of the jewels had been carved into intricate shapes. They made the lamplight glitter on the wall.

They were beautiful. Breathtaking, in fact. And powerful. Cassie could sense their strength from across the room. The onyx in her pocket was like a red hot flame against her skin.

"Power," grinned Faye, her golden eyes were flashing. "And not just any Power. The Power of Seduction. The Power of Corruption," she paused dramatically, "and the Power of Innocence Lost."

Cassie's heart thudded loudly in her chest. For some reason, the thought of so much Power was intoxicating. She wanted it. More than she'd wanted anything in a long time. Maybe ever.

She didn't even know why she wanted it. She just did.

And she was going to have it. Even if it killed her.

"What do I have to do?" she asked.

"The spell is a very simple one," answered Faye. "You'll need these stones and a few other ingredients, which I'll write down for you."

Cassie nodded eagerly.

"You mentioned that your mom is going out of town for the weekend, which is very convenient," Faye smiled conspiratorially. "Perform the spell before the dance and make these stones into a necklace. Wear it with your dress. Then bring Adam back here and seduce him. That part should be easy enough," she added. Then she sighed with longing. "You'll be amazed at the amount of Power you'll gain. I wish I had known about this spell when I was a virgin. I would have used it. The effect is much stronger your first time."

Cassie paused for a second, thinking. Then she asked, "How do I know that you won't tell anyone about this?"

"I'm already a leader of the coven," Faye responded. "I don't have anything to gain from you. What would be the point of me saying anything to anyone? Besides, you know Diana and Adam make me sick."

Cassie wasn't so sure that she trusted the other girl, but the thought of having all that Power was simply too tempting.

It was all she could think about.

* * *

"So Cassie's not coming?" asked Deborah. All the girls of the coven were getting ready for the dance at Diana's house, except for Cassie.

"I don't think so," Diana responded. "She called earlier and said that her mom didn't want her to be out since she's still grounded."

"Well, that's unfortunate now, isn't it?" murmured Faye, in a voice that said she really didn't care. Diana chose to ignore her.

Downstairs the doorbell rang. The girls looked at each other. Diana was still in her slip with Suzan curling her hair.

"I'll get it," said Melanie. She returned to Diana's room a few minutes later with a long black box. "It's for you, Diana."

Suzan put down the curling iron for a minute and Diana stood up and pulled the lid off the box. Inside was a dozen long-stemmed white roses and a folded piece of crisp parchment paper.

"It's another note from her admirer!" exclaimed Laurel.

"Well, read it," instructed Suzan. Even Faye looked interested.

Diana unfolded the paper and read aloud:

_**She Walks In Beauty**  
By George Gordon, Lord Byron_

_She walks in beauty, like the night__  
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;__  
And all that's best of dark and bright  
__Meet in her aspect and her eyes:  
Thus mellow'd to that tender light  
Which heaven to gaudy day denies._

_One shade the more, one ray the less,  
Had half impair'd the nameless grace  
Which waves in every raven tress,  
Or softly lightens o'er her face;  
Where thoughts serenely sweet express  
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place._

_And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,  
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,  
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,  
But tell of days in goodness spent,  
A mind at peace with all below,  
A heart whose love is innocent!_

"How romantic," sighed Laurel.

"Do you have any idea who sent it?" asked Deborah.

"Not really," Diana replied.

"Well, maybe you'll figure out who he is tonight," Melanie said.

"Maybe," Diana shrugged slightly, as if it was no big deal.

"Are you saying you're not interested in this guy at all?" Suzan asked. The strawberry blonde looked astounded.

Diana smiled softly. "You know there's only been one boy that I've ever been interested in." She carefully pulled the flowers out of the box and headed towards the kitchen for a vase.

"But he's a man of mystery," Suzan called after her. "And that's so _hot_!"

The rest of the girls laughed.

* * *

Diana was the belle of the ball. All of the girls wanted to talk to her and all of the boys wanted to dance with her. Laurel and Melanie kept themselves busy trying to note all of the guys that had asked Diana to dance.

"Her admirer has to ask her to dance sometime tonight," said Laurel. "We can figure out who it is by narrowing it down from there."

"Maybe he's shy," suggested Melanie, "and that's why he sends notes. Maybe he doesn't have the courage to approach her."

"Well, if that's the case, we'll never find him," Laurel sighed. "As for now, my money's on Toby Bassett. He's already asked Diana to dance three times."

"But he doesn't seem like the type to quote poetry." Melanie's cool gray eyes were pensive. "And he doesn't strike me as a romantic. I'd guess Carl Pendergrass, but he's here with Sally Waltman."

"I think Faye's after that one," remarked Laurel. "He's all she talks about lately." She spotted Carl and Sally dancing a few feet away. "But he did ask Diana to dance earlier. And she said yes, of course. He _did_ save her from drowning and all."

* * *

"Are you having a good time?" Diana asked.

"Yes, definitely. Are you?" Adam replied. The song was a slow one and he and Diana were gently swaying to the beat.

She nodded in return. It reminded her of old times. She and Adam had been to countless dances and had stood here in this same gymnasium, just like this.

For a moment she could almost pretend that everything was how it used to be. That she and Adam were together and that everything was simple.

She felt Adam suddenly stiffen against her and pull slightly away. He was staring at something over her shoulder.

Diana glanced back to see what he was looking at and then did a double take.

Cassie had just walked into the gym.

Cassie, who earlier claimed to be grounded, must have found a Get-Out-Jail-Free-Card. She looked stunning and radiant in a short, strapless black dress that showed off her slender figure.

But it wasn't just her outfit that was so shocking; it was her overall demeanor. Somehow Cassie had managed to appear both innocent and shy, but naughty and confident at the same time. She looked so approachable and yet, so unattainable. The combination was irresistible.

Every eye in the gym was focused on her. Cassie paused in the limelight, basking in the attention.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

* * *

Cassie Blake had stolen the show. She could feel the stares. The envy. The wonder. The _desire_.

She could sense the energy from it all, heightening her inner Power. She had the urge to throw back her head and laugh with reckless glee, but she resisted. Instead she smiled coolly at her crowd of observers, inviting them to approach.

She was mobbed in an instant.

"Cassie, will you dance with me?" asked a guy she had never seen before.

"No, Cassie—please! Dance with me!" begged Danny Korgan, from her science class. He sounded like he was in pain.

Then came so many requests that Cassie couldn't even distinguish one from another. It was just a muddle of voices, pleading with her and threatening each other defensively.

Cassie ignored them all and tried to slip through the throng of people. She was forced to stop when a young guy, obviously a freshman, got down on his knees in front of her. "Marry me?" he asked.

Cassie couldn't help but laugh slightly then. She smiled at him softly and patted him gently on the head as she stepped around him.

There was only one guy she was interested in tonight.

And there was no way he'd be able to resist her now. She was sure of it. She had spent hours putting the finishing touches on her necklace, just as Faye had instructed.

Her Power was undeniable. She could feel it coursing through her veins, augmented by the garnet, carnelian and onyx stones at her throat. She had never been more certain of herself, her beauty or her charm.

Adam didn't stand a chance against her. All she had to do was look at him, and he'd be a goner.

But where was he? It was hard to see through the mass of bodies surrounding her. People were following her and begging.

_There_. She spotted a wine-colored head between the shoulders of two guys on the basketball team. _Adam_. It was time to make her move.

He was looking at her, of course. Everyone was. But he had his arms around Diana. They were dancing.

_Come to me_, thought Cassie, sending a surge of Power and meeting his gaze.

Diana was staring.

_Let her_, thought Cassie. _Who cares what she thinks?_

She saw Adam start to release his grasp on Diana, but then someone stepped in front of her and their connection was broken.

It was Sean. Annoying as always.

"Hi, Cassie. I mean, wow. You look _hot_—I mean, really great!" he corrected. His eyes drifted to her neckline and downward from there. "Do you want to dance?"

Cassie stepped around him and tried to find Adam's gaze once again, but she was too late. Adam had turned the other way and was facing Diana. They were still dancing.

She groaned inwardly. _Damn it._

"Why is it that you only want what you can't have?" murmured a smooth, deep voice from behind her. The vowels were elongated slightly, emphasizing a different dialect than most of what she heard spoken around New Salem.

Cassie glanced back to see Carl Pendergrass standing behind her. He smiled, revealing a dimple in his cheek.

Suddenly Cassie could see why Faye was so interested in him. He was tall and trim and boyishly handsome. But there was something else about him. Something she hadn't noticed before.

It was his manner. He stood just inches from her face, but unlike the other guys who had approached her, he didn't seem excessively eager or frantically nervous. He had an air of confidence about him. And when he offered her his hand to dance, he moved gracefully and with purpose.

He was almost… _elegant_. Far too regal for a high school dance.

Diana had referred to him as a 'Southern Gentleman' and Cassie supposed the term was fitting. There was definitely something noble about Carl Pendergrass.

They danced to a slow tune before Cassie was accosted by Eric Duke, who was in her English class. Since she couldn't see Adam anywhere around, she decided to dance with Eric, too.

Afterwards she spotted Adam standing with Diana and Melanie. He was watching her, unable to tear his eyes away.

Cassie went in for the kill.

She walked directly over to him, her eyes never wavering. Once she got close enough she could see the overwhelming effect she was having on him.

His lips parted. He looked breathless. His eyes were wide.

"Cassie," he murmured. "You're… amazing." He shook his head in bewilderment.

"Dance with me," Cassie said, ignoring the looks Melanie and Diana were giving her. She held out her hand.

A slow song was starting up. She could see Adam start to nod in agreement, but the moment was shattered by Melanie.

"But Adam, you already told Diana that you would dance the next slow one with her," Melanie interjected, shoving Diana forward and into Adam's shoulder. "Sorry, Cassie, I'm sure you understand," she added with a forced shrug.

Melanie pushed the couple off to the dance floor before they could protest. Adam glanced back twice. Diana did not.

Cassie bit her lip.

Melanie was glaring at her. The taller girl stood with her hands on her hips.

"What the hell are you doing, Cassie?" she demanded.

"What?" Cassie tried her best to look innocent. "I don't know what you mean."

"The hell you don't," said Melanie. "You've been acting different for weeks. Everyone's noticed. I used to think that you were my friend."

"I _am_ your friend," Cassie exclaimed.

Melanie shook her head. "You're into something, Cassie. I can tell. And whatever it is, it's _bad_." She paused for a second before continuing, crossing her arms across her chest. "You may fool Diana and Adam, the rest of the Club, and maybe even yourself. But you don't fool me. So as your _friend_, I'm going to give you some advice. _Stop it_. Stop it now, before it's too late."

Cassie could feel a surge of Power swell inside of her. Her eyes flared. "Or you'll what?"

She saw a faint flicker of fear in Melanie's gray eyes, but the other girl didn't back down. "I'll think of something."

"_Oooh_," whined Cassie, her voice laced with sarcasm. "You do that." Then she grinned, twirling her fingers in a tiny wave. Her fingernails were painted blood red. "Bye now."

Cassie was beyond caring what Melanie thought at this point. Or who Melanie told.

She was so close to getting that _Power_. So close to snagging Adam for good. What did anything else matter?

Cassie turned and stalked into the crowd leaving a breathless Melanie staring behind her.

She hadn't gone very far before she came across another altercation.

"Carl doesn't want to have anything to do with you. And neither did Jeffrey! Why can't you just leave people alone?" Sally shrieked.

Faye was clutching Carl's arm tightly. Cassie couldn't see his expression since his back was to her. "This dance is mine," Faye told Sally.

"Bitch," spat Sally. She turned and stormed away on her heel.

_Well, well, well_, thought Cassie. Carl Pendergrass was suddenly turning out to be one hot commodity. Wasn't he supposedly dating Portia?

For such a gentleman, he certainly got around.

The slow song was ending. Cassie spied Adam and Diana on the dance floor and made a beeline for them. Before she got there, however, Adam walked off in the opposite direction.

Cassie sighed in frustration.

Diana, on the other hand, had spotted Cassie and made her way over. "I thought you were grounded tonight, Cass," she commented softly. She was obviously trying not to sound accusatory.

"Yeah, I am," she replied. "But I figured the dance was too important to miss after all."

Diana followed Cassie's gaze over to the punch bowl where Adam was busily grabbing two cups. "He'll be back in a minute. I'm sure he'll want to dance with you," she said earnestly.

The two girls met up with Laurel on the sidelines. She greeted them enthusiastically and then her expression changed. "Uh-oh, Cassie. You might want to hide for a minute. Here comes Sean. He's been after you all night."

Sure enough, Sean Dulaney, was headed straight for her. He looked overly excited, like a puppy that was about to wet himself.

"I'll be back in a minute," Cassie winked and ducked into the crowd.

* * *

Sean looked incredibly disappointed that he had just missed Cassie. In fact, he looked even more disappointed than Adam felt.

Adam had been busy scanning the crowd for the last few minutes, but he hadn't seen Cassie yet. He was so distracted that when someone brushed by him he forgot to mind the drink he was holding. The cup of bright red punch splattered all over the front of Diana's ivory silk gown.

"Diana, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed. Then he grimaced. Diana's outfit now sort of resembled _Carrie_'s prom dress.

He was pretty sure Diana wasn't a fan of Stephen King.

"It's alright," she responded, remaining calm even though her dress was obviously ruined.

"Let me help you clean it up at least," said Adam. He looked around for some napkins or paper towels to at least absorb some of the liquid.

"It's no use," Diana shook her head. "I think I'm going to just run home and change really quick. It won't take that long and I can be back here with time left to dance."

"Well, let me drive you, at least," Adam offered, desperate to please. He bit his lip. He really wanted to find Cassie and dance with her or talk to her; _anything_, really. He just wanted to be near her. But he wanted to be polite, as well. He always remembered his duty.

He supposed he could be back here in time to find Cassie and dance with her before the night was over.

"Are you sure you wouldn't mind?" Diana looked hopeful. "I rode over here in Melanie's car and I would hate to make her leave."

"Yeah, it's not a problem," replied Adam, hiding his frustration. "We'll catch you guys in a bit," he called to Sean and Laurel, before heading out of the gym with Diana.

* * *

Nick stumbled as he reached the top of the stairs, bruising his knee on the top riser.

"Shit," he muttered, grabbing the doorknob to steady himself.

"You are so trashed," Deborah laughed. She was gloating. She had just cleaned the Henderson brothers and himself out of everything in their wallets. Deb was one hell of a poker player.

"Shut up," Nick said, even though he knew it was true. He leaned against the door to the Boiler Room and groaned. He was having trouble turning the knob.

"Drunk _and _broke." Deborah grinned and then shoved past him into the hallway, forcing the door open. "All of you," she called behind her.

Nick could hear the Henderson brothers struggling on the stairs below him.

No one could hold their liquor like Deb either. She loved to rub it in.

"I ought to leave your wasted asses on the stairs, but you big, tough boys might hurt yourselves," she said mockingly, feigning like she was inconvenienced.

She waited until all three guys had entered the hallway and then she looped her arm around Doug, who wasn't looking so good.

"N-n-next t-time, I'm gonna win," slurred Doug.

"We'll see about that," Deborah laughed again.

Nick found himself walking aimlessly behind Chris, Deborah and Doug, following them towards the loud music emanating from the gymnasium.

As they rounded the next corner, Chris crashed right into Sally Waltman, who was coming from the opposite direction. The ricochet sent her reeling into a locker and Chris into the water fountain, where he promptly began to dry heave.

"Ow!" cried Sally. "What is wrong with you people?" She scowled at Chris, who was still heaving over the water fountain. "You are _disgusting_,"she exclaimed. Then she glanced at the rest of them. "And your friend Faye is a man-eating bitch."

Deborah glared.

"What?" Sally goaded them. "You don't have anything to say about that?"

"F-f-f-" Doug began, but couldn't quite get the word out. He drunkenly tried to point his finger at her and kept missing. Meanwhile, Chris was finally starting to vomit in the water fountain. Deborah continued to stand there in silence, a menacing look plastered on her face.

_Deb probably can't think of a smart ass remark_, realized Nick. _She's almost as drunk as the rest of us._

It was suddenly too much for Nick. Sally was right, anyway. Faye _was_ a man-eating bitch. Why bother to defend her?

He began to laugh, leaning against the wall of lockers for support. He laughed harder than he had laughed in months.

Had he actually laughed in months? He couldn't remember.

He supposed it didn't matter. Drunk or not, it felt good.

He needed to let loose more often. Deb was always saying so. Maybe he ought to start now.

Sally, however, was not impressed. She rolled her eyes at him and then stepped past Deborah and Doug, disappearing down the hall.

"Whew," sighed Chris, standing up. "That feels better." He had a lopsided grin on his face.

"Too bad you didn't throw up on Sally," muttered Deborah. She began to pull Doug towards the gym. "That would have been classic."

Nick had to agree, it would have been entertaining.

As they reached the double doors that led to the gymnasium they passed Adam and Diana heading out.

"Dude, what happened?" asked Chris, staring at Diana's dress. He swayed a little on his feet.

"Just a spill," replied Diana.

"We'll see you guys later," said Adam. His blue-gray eyes trailed over the four of them.

Nick could read the look in those eyes. It was full of disdain. Conant didn't approve of their drinking or their gambling.

Nick returned the other boy's gaze evenly. He certainly didn't give a damn about what Adam thought.

He walked into the gym with Deb and the Hendersons, determined to let loose a bit.

The night was still young. Maybe he could have a good time.

* * *

Cassie had just escaped from an overzealous fan. The poor boy had actually tried to kiss her while they were dancing and had been devastated when she refused.

She had to admit it. Tonight her Power was incredible. She couldn't wait until she had even more flowing through her fingertips.

It was all she could think about. How good it would feel. How unstoppable she could be. The thrill. The excitement. She could barely contain herself.

And where was Adam?

She was going to _die_ if she didn't get this over with soon. She had to have that Power. Plain and simple. She would do anything to get it.

The onyx at her throat burned at the thought.

_Soon_, she hoped.

"How's it going so far?" asked Faye, strolling up beside her.

"If I can just get Adam to dance with me, I'm home free," Cassie replied. "But I can't seem to find him anywhere."

Deborah caught up with them a few seconds later. "Faye, I just saw Sally in the hall. You must have really pissed her off. She called you a man-eating bitch."

"Interesting," said Faye, her amber eyes narrowing. "There are actually a few things I would like to say to Sally myself. I think I'm going to go and find her. Maybe we can work it out." Faye flashed a wicked grin. "I'll see you girls later."

Cassie wondered what she meant by "work it out." Faye made it sound malicious.

"You haven't seen Adam have you?" Cassie asked, glancing around.

"Yeah, I just saw him a few minutes ago. He and Diana were leaving," Deborah said casually.

Cassie felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.

"What?" she gasped.

"He left with Diana," Deb repeated. "Cassie, are you ok?" Her voice was concerned.

Cassie nodded, trying to keep her cool. Inside she felt like she was going to lose it.

_Breathe, Cassie. Breathe_, she told herself. _Act normal. Everything is fine._

But everything was _not_ fine.

Adam was gone. He had left with _Diana_. Her spell was ruined. All that Power--she'd never have it now.

Suddenly she felt faint. Oh, God, what was she going to do?

"Hi, Cassie," Nick's voice cut through her thoughts. She hadn't heard him approach.

"Are you sure you're alright, Cass?" Deborah asked. She still sounded worried.

Cassie glanced up at Nick's tall figure next to her. "I'm just fine, Deb," she responded, without looking at the other girl.

A new idea was working its way through her mind. She held out her hand to Nick. "Would you like to dance?"

There was no way he could have resisted, even if he had wanted to. The necklace's charm was incredibly alluring. He stepped forward and clasped her hand.

Nick Armstrong was a goner.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

* * *

"You look unbelievable," Nick murmured, holding Cassie close a few minutes later.

"Thanks," she replied. "You look nice, yourself." She meant it. Nick always looked good.

Cassie could smell the liquor on his breath. Was it wrong to take advantage of someone who was so obviously inebriated?

_Probably_, she thought. But she knew that Nick wanted her, even when he was sober. And at the moment, she wasn't sure that she even cared. All she could think about was Power. It was all consuming. Her mouth watered for it.

And she liked Nick. She really did. Tonight could prove to be a success even without Adam Conant, as long as the Power was hers.

"So who's your date?" Nick asked, glancing around.

She scoffed playfully. "What makes you think I have a date?"

He smirked. "Girls that look like you are born with dates, ok?"

"I'm solo tonight," she smiled.

"Lucky me," he said.

"Yeah," she repeated. "Lucky you."

* * *

"Does anyone else feel like we should be covering our eyes?" asked Laurel.

She was referring to Cassie and Nick who had been dancing together for the last thirty minutes. If you could call what they were doing dancing. They were awfully _close_…

If they hadn't both been members of The Club, school administrators would have undoubtedly separated Cassie and Nick several songs ago. But as it was, no one was stepping in.

"Wow," said Suzan, her jaw open.

"When is Nick going to let Cassie dance with someone else?" asked Sean, his voice squeaking slightly. "I haven't gotten a turn yet!"

Laurel didn't have the heart to tell Sean that he was never going to have a turn. Not at this rate. It was going to take a wrench to pry Cassie and Nick apart at this point. "Close your mouth, Suzan," she told her friend.

Suzan's jaw snapped shut, but her eyes were wide with awe. "I always wondered if something was still going on between them. But I have to admit I'm a little shocked. It's not like Cassie or Nick to be so… _public_ about it."

"She looks like she's in heat," scoffed Melanie, disgust evident in her voice.

Laurel was taken aback by her tone. Something was up. It wasn't like Melanie to be so venomous.

Laurel looked over at the other girl carefully. Melanie's posture was rigid and she seemed to be on edge.

Something was _definitely_ going on. And Melanie knew more than she was saying.

Chris looked up from his seat at their table. His expression was both drunk and confused. "Cassie has heatstroke? Is she ok?"

Melanie sighed and rolled her eyes.

Laurel just patted him on the hand gently. "She'll be fine, Chris. Don't worry."

She hoped she was right.

* * *

Nick couldn't ever remember feeling so good. He knew that he was completely wasted, but he didn't care. Had he known that Cassie would be at the dance unattached and available, he probably would have had less to drink, but he was alright. He could still stand. That was more than he could say for Doug, who had passed out forty minutes earlier.

At the moment, Cassie was looking up at him with her big blue eyes and he was feeling like the luckiest guy on earth. He was standing with his arms around her; holding her close. God, she was beautiful. He wondered if he had ever told her that while they were dating. He wasn't really good at saying things. And there was so much that he had wanted to tell her. So much that he'd had to say.

But right now, words didn't seem to matter so much. There was something about Cassie tonight. She had this look in her eyes. It was hard to describe, but it was like she wanted him—like she wanted to _be_ with him. Like he was the one guy on the planet that mattered.

She had never looked at him like that before. It was as if Adam had ceased to exist.

He had seen Adam leave with Diana earlier. So maybe Conant had made his choice already.

And besides, it wasn't like Cassie and Adam were still dating, anyway. They had broken up. Why shouldn't he have a good time with Cassie right now?

Nick closed his eyes and pulled Cassie closer to him. He knew he was drunk and that he shouldn't be reading too much into this, but he couldn't help it. He'd wanted to be with her for so long. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe she'd started to change her mind about him.

So when Cassie whispered to him to meet her at her house in half an hour, he agreed.

* * *

It was eleven-thirty by the time Diana and Adam made it back to the dance. Diana had changed into a lavender dress that flowed loosely from her waist and Adam had performed his duty as her patient escort. As soon as they reached the gym, Adam looked at her.

"I'm going to see if I can find Cassie now. I hope you don't mind," he said.

"No, of course not," Diana replied graciously. She watched as he disappeared into the darkened crowd. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Faye and Carl standing to her left. She made her way over to them. "Have you guys seen Cassie?" she asked.

"You know what? I did see Cassie earlier and she wasn't doing so well. I think she went home," Faye replied. She actually sounded slightly sympathetic. "Maybe you ought to check on her tonight. Make sure she's doing alright. I know her mother is out of town."

_Wow_, thought Diana. _Cassie must not be feeling well at all if Faye Is that concerned about her._

"Well, I suppose Sally isn't coming back after all, Carl," Faye said, brightening up. "We've waited for over half an hour. I think it's safe to say that you can leave with me now."

"I've never left a dance without my date before," admitted Carl. "It just doesn't seem right."

"There's a first time for everything, Carl." Faye shrugged. "And Sally probably split a long time ago. She was pretty mad when you danced with me earlier."

"True," he admitted, a frown marring his handsome features. Eventually he allowed Faye to talk him into giving her a ride home.

"Have a good night, Diana," he called out to her as they left.

She waved in return.

Carl was such a nice guy. Oh, how she wished Faye would just leave him alone. She was probably going to corrupt him. She tended to have that effect on people.

"Hi, Diana. Do you want to dance?" Sean's voice interrupted her thoughts.

She smiled down at him and accepted his offer. "Sure, Sean. I'd be happy to."

They had been dancing for only a minute or so when Melanie came rushing over.

Melanie's face was flushed and her eyes were wide. "Diana! Oh my gosh! They've just found Sally Waltman at the bottom of an elevator shaft in the art wing!"

Diana gasped in horror. "Is she…" _Dead?_ she thought. She couldn't make herself say the word out loud.

"She's alive, but unconscious. They've already called an ambulance." Melanie looked around the gym anxiously. She saw Laurel and waved her over to them.

"I guess you guys have heard the news," muttered Laurel, once she reached them.

They nodded.

"Do they have any idea what happened?" asked Diana.

Melanie's face looked grim. "I don't think they know for sure right now, but a lot of people are saying that she was pushed."

"Oh, my gosh." Diana shook her head. "This is just awful."

"It gets worse, Di," said Laurel. "People are saying that Faye did it because she was arguing with Sally earlier tonight."

"No." Diana's voice was flat and determined. "Faye didn't do this. She wouldn't."

Melanie and Laurel didn't look convinced. Neither did Sean.

"I just heard what happened," said Adam, as he hurried over to their group. "Has anyone seen Cassie? I can't find her anywhere. I'm worried that something might have happened to her, too."

Melanie shrugged. "I haven't seen Cassie around for a while."

"Me either," added Laurel and Sean in unison.

"Actually, Faye told me that Cassie wasn't feeling well and that she went home already," Diana told him.

"Where is Faye?" Adam asked, glancing around. "Is she still here?"

"No," answered Diana. "She left with Carl Pendergrass about ten minutes ago. I think she said he was taking her home."

"Damn," he cursed. "I wanted to ask her about what happened tonight with Sally. The last thing we need is for people to start pointing fingers at one of us." He paused for a moment, suddenly lost in thought.

"Would you mind stopping by Cassie's and making sure that she's alright?" Adam suggested.

"No, not at all," Diana said. "I was thinking about doing that anyway."

"Good." Adam stole a glance at his watch. He looked tired. "I'm going to track down Faye and try get to the bottom of all this before it gets out of hand."

He said goodnight to them and then headed out the door.

"Melanie and I will go with you to Cassie's house," Laurel suggested to Diana. "We all rode together anyway."

"Sounds like a plan," Diana agreed.

Sean suddenly looked interested in tagging along. "Can I have a ride?" he asked.

* * *

"Cassie?" Nick called.

There was no response.

He had found the front door to her house unlocked, but the entire place was dark. He stood for a moment, letting his eyes adjust. He caught a faint trace of light trickling down the stairway to his right.

_She must be upstairs._

He fumbled in the dimness but somehow managed to make his way to the upstairs hall. He could see the tiny stream of light flickering from one of the rooms to his left. The door was open.

He approached it with as much caution as he could muster, in case Cassie was asleep. Unfortunately, he was far too intoxicated to be very quiet.

She must have heard him coming, because she suddenly appeared in the doorway. The soft candlelight from behind her illuminated her face and her outfit.

Nick's breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a robe.

Just a robe.

The short, silky material was jet black and it fell to her mid-thighs. It was knotted loosely at her waist.

"Hi," she whispered. She leaned back against the door frame and smiled at him invitingly, motioning for him to step through the door. A hint of some sort of incense lingered in the air.

"Hi," he said, as she closed the door behind him. Then he shook his head in disbelief.

_I must be completely wasted. Or dreaming_, he thought.

For the life of him he couldn't remember how much he'd had to drink tonight. It must have been a lot.

Cassie couldn't possibly be seducing _him_. No way could this be real.

Nick kept expecting to snap of it at any moment. He watched as Cassie's scantily clad figure slowly approached him. Then she reached out and grabbed his hand.

_Holy shit._ This was no dream. This was really happening.

Her hand felt warm and soft inside of his own. He wasn't imagining it.

He gulped anxiously. When did he ever get nervous?

_Shit._ When did he ever get this lucky?

Cassie pulled him toward the bed and motioned for him to lie down next to her. Even though he was drunk, a small part of him wanted to resist. It just didn't seem right somehow. He didn't want to have a one-night stand with her or anything.

This was Cassie, the girl of his dreams. He had nothing but respect for her. As much as he wanted to be with her, he wanted it to be right for the both of them.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Nick asked, in between her urgent kisses. If he didn't stop right now, in the very beginning, he didn't know that he was going to be able to.

She nodded.

He started to protest again, but Cassie's own voice surfaced in his mind. _"You've got to enjoy life while you can, right?"_ She had said that to him at her locker one day. And she was right.

He wasn't going to live forever. Hell, he might not have much time left at all, but he could have this night with Cassie. And that was way more than he'd ever hoped. He'd be a fool to turn away from her.

As if reading his thoughts Cassie said, "You've got to live while you can."

Nick responded by pressing his lips against hers and shoving all of his internal reservations aside. He was here, with Cassie. And she wanted to be with him. That was all that mattered now.

If he died tomorrow, at least he would die happy.

* * *

Power. Cassie wanted it. She _needed_ it. She didn't care what she had to do to get it. And she was so close to having it that she could practically taste it.

She was quite aware that the evening had not worked out as she had planned. It was Nick that was here with her and not Adam, but the end result would be the same. Cassie would obtain more Power than she'd ever had before. And then she would be truly unstoppable.

She could feel the onyx in the pocket of her robe, like a flame against her skin. It helped her remain calm and in control, even though she could feel Nick's pulse racing. Cassie had stuffed as many carnelians and garnets as she could find between her mattress and box springs to enhance the seduction. The jewels plus Faye's exotic incense were incredibly enticing. She would have been amazed if Nick had been able to refuse her. Actually, scratch that. She would have died of shock.

She had to admit, he wasn't a bad substitute. He was incredibly handsome. And he was completely devoted to her. It made her feel even more powerful already.

She looked up at his perfectly carved face above her. His dark eyes were heated and heavy. His body was laced with desire. He pulled his shirt over his head, revealing a well-muscled torso and then bent down to kiss her again. She could feel him now, pulling her robe away from her skin, revealing her lace undergarments.

Suddenly there was a cool spot on her upper thigh. It felt like someone was holding an ice cube there. She needed something… something was gone… she was so confused… what was happening?

Her robe fell to the floor, the small black stone in its pocket thudding slightly.

Nick was kissing her neck and messing with the clasp of her bra. Cassie could smell the alcohol on his breath.

Immediately, panic began welling up inside of Cassie. _What am I doing?_ she thought frantically. _What the _hell_ am I doing? I'm about to lose my virginity to a guy for … Power?_

She felt like she was emerging from a fog of confusion. But she knew one thing for certain.

_I can't do this._

"Stop," she said aloud. "Nick. Stop. Please. I-I can't do this."

He paused and looked down at her. His hands froze where they were.

"I'm sorry," Cassie said. "I feel like such an idiot."

Nick took a deep breath, trying to get control of himself. "It's alright," he said, softly. "We don't have to." He began to sit up.

Without warning, the door to the bedroom swung open, revealing Diana, Melanie, Laurel and Sean.

Diana gasped when she saw the two figures on the bed. She was in complete shock.

"Holy shit," exclaimed Sean, his eyes wide. His gaze settled in on Cassie's current state of undress. Laurel reached over and covered his eyes.

"Is this a bad time?" asked Melanie, with a smirk.

* * *

Diana hastily pulled the door shut. She leaned against the wall in the hallway and let out a breath. "Wow," she said.

Laurel sighed, "You can say that again."

None of them had been expecting _that_.

The three girls immediately turned to flee the scene and headed towards the stairs. Laurel had to go back and drag Sean, who was still standing in the now-closed doorway, awestruck by his privileged view of Cassie.

"Wow," he repeated, as Laurel forced him down the staircase. "Did you all see that?"

"Yes, Sean, we saw it," Laurel said, her exasperation apparent in her voice.

"Well, you know what this means, don't you?" Sean sounded excited again.

"That I'll have to repress memories from this entire evening?" suggested Melanie from the front hall.

"Nick's the _man_!" squealed Sean.

The girls rolled their eyes and tried their best to ignore him.

"So, now do you guys think those rumors were true or what?" he asked, looking from one girl to the next as they stepped out into the night.

Laurel groaned irritably. "Shut up, Sean."

And to her immense surprise, he actually did.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer**: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**A/N:** Thanks to **Alexis Page, Tifani, twilighteroket** and **stitchgal** for your reviews! It really helped me to get the next chapter up soon.

**Stitchgal**: I might not have made it clear enough in the previous chapters and it was a REALLY long time since I've updated, so I'm sorry if you are confused. Cassie's been struggling with the effects of using dark magic. She's finding herself doing things that she ordinarily wouldn't do (i.e., carrying "onyx", surrendering to her shadow self, etc.) She's being pulled toward the darker side, so to speak. But can she fight it?

**twilighteroket**: I know what you mean, that was the effect I was going for--you're supposed to like Cassie and then hate her. I wanted you guys to feel torn. Cassie, herself, feels torn between doing what is right and doing that to which she is irresistibly drawn.

Anyway, keep letting me know what you think!

* * *

Cassie was mortified.

"Oh, my God," she said, putting her head in her hands. She had no idea why Diana, Melanie, Laurel and Sean had decided to stop by but she sure wished they hadn't. She was so embarrassed. And the look on their faces—especially Diana's… Cassie suddenly felt so ashamed.

Feeling a little self-conscious, Cassie pulled at the sheets, desperately attempting to cover herself. Beside her, Nick put his shirt back on.

There was an awkward silence. Cassie was blinking back tears.

"Hey. Ssshhh," Nick began softly, "Don't cry. It's alright." She could feel his warm hand on her shoulder.

The fact that he was concerned about her just seemed to make her feel worse. Less than five minutes ago she had totally disregarded his feelings and had been willing to seduce him for Power. What was wrong with her? What had she done to herself?

_Darkness follows. _

The warning from the Nebraska witch echoed in her mind. Cassie shuddered. Was her behavior a side effect of the dark magic? Had she bought a ticket to the dark side with no return?

"You're shaking," Nick whispered.

"I'm sorry, Nick," Cassie sighed. "I shouldn't have invited you here." The guilt was killing her. He was such a good guy. Where did she get off trying to use him? He didn't deserve that.

A single teardrop rolled down Cassie's cheek. Nick leaned forward and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. His mahogany eyes were searching her face. "Cassie," he said, "Everything's going to be just fine. Don't worry about it."

For a brief second Cassie's breath caught in her chest. He was so handsome and he was looking at her so earnestly, the amber candlelight dancing over his high cheekbones. And there was something about the way he said her name or just the sound of it on his lips, perhaps. It sent a small shiver through her system.

She had almost forgotten how good looking he was.

_Nick._ He was always so strong and dependable. And as she looked into those dark eyes, she could feel how much she trusted him. She felt like she was safe. That nothing could touch her. And that maybe everything _would_ actually be alright.

It began to give her courage.

_Tell him_, she thought. _Tell him about the spell. About the dark magic._

If anyone would stand by her, Nick would.

"Nick, I-" her voice faltered and she started to cry harder. _I did something really bad_, she wanted to say, but she couldn't force the words out. "I-I-"

"Sshhh," he murmured, holding her tight. "Just let me hold you."

He gently smoothed her hair away from her face and out of her eyes, his fingers tracing the teardrops on her cheeks.

"You're so beautiful," he said, gazing down at her. A soft smile lingered over his normally stoic lips.

Then he bent his head and those lips met hers. It was a slow, deliberate kiss and Cassie found herself swept away by it.

All of her fears and worries were brushed aside for the moment. It felt good to lose herself; to be lost in the safety and security of Nick.

After a few minutes, Nick pulled back. "I should go," he said, letting out a breath.

Cassie nodded. Still wrapped in her bed sheet, she walked him to the front door.

Nick stepped out into the night. "Goodnight, Cass."

"Nick, wait," Cassie called out before she could stop herself.

He turned back to look at her.

On an impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him passionately. "Thanks," she whispered softly, pulling away.

He gave her a brief smile; a flicker of white teeth in the dark night. His eyes were warm and alive with passion.

Nick the ice sculpture was slowly beginning to thaw.

Cassie watched from the doorway as he sauntered down her driveway and into the night. After he disappeared from her view, she leaned back against the front door and sighed. Her heart fluttered slightly in her chest.

_Girl, you are in trouble_, she told herself.

* * *

Adam was early.

He sat on the floor of the old science wing and unfolded the crumpled note in his hand. He stared at the perfectly formed letters.

_Adam—_

_Meet me in the old science wing after third period. It's about Cassie. _

_Don't tell anyone._

_-Diana_

He had found the note in his locker after first period and had been wondering about it ever since. _What about Cassie?_

Sean entered the room a few minutes later and took a seat next to him. He was followed by Suzan and Laurel, and then finally by Diana and Melanie.

Melanie closed the door to the abandoned science lab that they were sitting in.

"This is a closed meeting," Diana began. "I've asked you all here because there's something going on with Cassie. I believe you all have Cassie's best interests at heart, so I wanted to ask your help."

"Help with what?" Adam asked. "What's going on?"

"Cassie is out of control," Melanie answered.

"We're doing an intervention," added Diana.

Adam shook his head. "Di, no offense, but I don't understand what you're talking about. This is ridiculous. Cassie doesn't need an intervention." He looked at Laurel, Sean and Suzan for support. "Right guys?"

Suzan shrugged, but Laurel was biting her lip and Sean squirmed in his seat uncomfortably.

"Adam, I know you don't want to hear this," Melanie began, "But we have reason to believe that Cassie has been abusing dark magic."

_That's crazy_, thought Adam.

"Cassie is not abusing dark magic," he scoffed. "She would never do something like that."

"I didn't think so either," Diana said, her green eyes somber. "But she has been acting strangely for a while and she basically admitted it to Melanie the other night at the dance," she paused and looked at the auburn haired girl, who nodded.

"We did a trace last night," Melanie informed him. "Cassie's aura is saturated with dark energy. We're not sure how it happened-"

Adam shook his head in disbelief. _This couldn't be true_.

"I don't believe this. Maybe your trace was off," he insisted, interrupting Melanie.

"I believe it," Suzan said. The strawberry blonde's voice was resigned. "The way she was at the dance. I just couldn't put my finger on it. But it wasn't like her to-" she paused and glanced at Adam hesitantly, "to carry on like that."

"Carry on like what?" Adam asked. "I was at the dance, too. She seemed fine to me."

"You weren't there when-" Laurel began, but Diana cut her off with a sharp look. She rephrased, "Cassie _was_ a little out of control at the dance. You just missed it because you took Diana home to change."

Adam had the feeling that they were dancing around something. There was something that Diana and the others weren't telling him.

"Well, you went to her house after the dance, Diana. How was she acting then?" he asked.

"Oh, I'd say she was doing alright," muttered Suzan under her breath. Her eyebrows were raised sharply. "From what they told me anyway." She motioned to the others. "I wasn't there."

Adam looked at Suzan and then at Diana who was biting her lip.

"Tell me," he said firmly.

Just then the bell rang, signaling the end of the morning break period.

"Some other time," Diana responded, still holding out on him. "I have to go or else I'm going to be late for my English test. But Melanie and I are putting together a few things that might help Cassie. In the meantime, just keep an eye out for her."

The girls hurried out of the room towards the main building of the school. Sean jumped up to follow suit, but Adam grabbed him by the arm and blocked the doorway.

"You were there at Cassie's house Friday night, weren't you?" he asked.

Sean swallowed nervously. "Yeah," he replied, "But I've got to get to class." He tried to wiggle out of Adam's grasp, but the older boy held fast.

"In a minute," Adam said. "What happened there?"

"N-nothing happened," Sean stuttered.

Adam pushed Sean's back against the door. He knew it was wrong to bully the smaller boy, but right now he needed answers and Sean was the weakest link. "Don't lie to me," Adam's voice was low and serious.

Sean let out a breath. "Look," he said, as if asking for Adam to cut him a break, "Diana made me promise not to tell you."

_What? When did Diana start keeping secrets from him? And since when did they involve Cassie?_

"She'll get over it," Adam responded coldly, realizing briefly that he sounded an awful lot like Nick. "Now talk."

"Cassie was there, ok? And she was _fine_! Now leave me alone!" Sean squirmed with all of his might, but to no avail; he was still trapped.

Adam twisted Sean's arm a little bit harder, just like the other boys in the coven had done for ages. Sean was the runt of the litter, of course, and the older boys had always had their way. They had always been faster, bigger and stronger. Such was life.

It had always seemed to Adam that life could be unnecessarily cruel, but Faye reveled in these small injustices, glorifying what she called the "Law of the Jungle."

Adam felt bad about using the so-called "Law of the Jungle" to his advantage over Sean, but he was desperate. He would do anything he could to make sure that Cassie was alright.

And Adam had to give Sean some credit for holding out this long. The kid had a little more backbone than he used to.

Sean finally cried out in pain. "Alright!" he gasped. "I'll talk. _Geez_." He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "She was with Nick. Are you happy now?"

Adam released some of the pressure on Sean's arm.

_She was with Nick?_ Adam tried to calm the inner jealousy that was sparking to life._ So what?_ he told himself._ People hang out all the time. _Cassie and Nick were friends.

Just friends.

"And what's so wrong about that?" Adam tried to shrug it off.

"They were half-naked, ok? They were in her bed," Sean exclaimed, his voice cracking. "He was on top of her. Do you get it now?"

Everything in Adam suddenly went cold. He stood there stiff and unblinking, trying to process this unbelievable information.

Sean jumped at the chance to escape. "Jerk!" he cried out, finally wriggling away from the older boy. He gave Adam a decent shove before sliding out the door.

Adam stood there in the bombed-out science lab, simply trying to breathe.

It felt like someone had taken something sharp and stabbed it right through his heart. He sank to his knees and put his head in his hands.

By the time Adam left the science wing forty-five minutes later the shock and grief had worn off.

Rage had set in.

* * *

Cassie Blake was in over her head.

She had realized it the second after Nick had left her house on Friday night.

She had felt the familiar stirrings inside, the longing, the physical attraction. But there was more to it than that. Somewhere deep inside there was a part of her that was falling--falling for him badly.

She couldn't help it. He was so good to her. And so unpredictable. Not to mention, easy on the eyes… The list went on and on.

But she still loved Adam. She hadn't realized when she performed the spell that broke his fated connections to both her and Diana that she would be opening herself up to liking someone else.

Once again, she had inadvertently complicated things.

She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about Nick. But there was something there that she couldn't ignore. And she was going to have to face it sooner or later.

_Most likely sooner_, she thought, as she spotted Nick in the crowded hallway as school was letting out.

He saw her and headed over to where she was standing at her locker. They hadn't seen each other since he'd left her house Friday night.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she remembered how he had held her in his arms and made her forget the rest of the world. But what did it all mean?

Did Nick think they were back together now? Were they? Cassie had no idea where they stood and she was afraid that it might be kind of awkward.

"Hey, Cass," he said casually. His face was his usual mask of perfect self-control, but his eyes held a warmth that was just for her.

"Hi," she responded. And for a moment they just looked at each other without speaking. Cassie felt her cheeks flush reflexively. She turned away abruptly and began piling books into her locker to hide her reaction.

"Hey," he said again, putting his hands on her shoulders gently and turning her around to face him. "You don't have anything to be embarrassed about. So don't be."

He sounded so confident and sure of himself. Cassie wished that she could be like that.

He placed one of her hands into his and gave it a slight squeeze. "Let's go," he suggested, with a nod toward the door.

He walked her outside toward the school parking lot.

"Nick, I don't know what's going on right now or where we stand…" she began hesitantly.

He shrugged. "So let's not worry about that. Let's just see how things go. Alright?"

"Ok," she agreed. Then she laughed slightly. He was always doing that—making her relax. Taking her worries away. She shook her head softly. "I don't deserve you," she said.

He gave her a wry smile. "I think that's supposed to be _my_ line."

When they reached Cassie's car, he kissed her briefly on the lips. "See you around," he whispered, before heading off to his own car.

Neither one of them noticed the solitary figure sitting in the Jeep Cherokee parked a few cars away.

* * *

Adam clenched his jaw tightly, releasing a struggled breath. He could feel the jealousy radiating inside of him. He was boiling with it; poisoned green. It took all of his effort not to jump out of the car and accost Nick.

God, he wanted to hit him. Oh, how Adam wanted to break that perfectly composed face that belied all emotion; make the other boy sorry that he had ever interfered with Cassie.

But it was her choice. Soulmate or not, Adam didn't own her. She was free to carry on how she liked. And with whom she pleased.

Although Adam was mature enough to realize this, it didn't make it any easier to swallow. Adam's eyes followed Nick as the dark-haired boy walked through the parking lot.

_Son of a bitch_, he thought. One of these days the two of them were going to have it out.

With rough, furious movements Adam shifted the Jeep into gear and sped off.

* * *

Deb's parents were fighting again.

It was something that Nick had gotten used to over the years. They both drank heavily, which seemed to make matters worse. And being trapped in a loveless marriage for eighteen years, not to mention a healthy dose of survivor's guilt, added fuel to the flames.

It was times like these that Nick escaped to the garage for a distraction or for a walk on the beach to get away from it all. Tonight he could still hear the shouting from the garage, so he headed outside to get some peace.

He made his way slowly down the coast, pausing here and there to throw a rock into the crashing waves.

He hadn't been gone for very long when he heard the growl. It was low and guttural; a sound of pure animal vengeance.

Nick spun around to see a large, gray wolf standing on a rocky ledge behind him. It was a monstrosity of the canine variety, far bigger than Raj and with a mouth full of sharp incisors. Its tongue lolled about, hungrily.

_What the hell? This can't be possible. _

There hadn't been wolves in these parts since the 1700s. They had long ago been hunted unto extinction. It couldn't be a wolf. But this was far too big to be a dog. And it looked ravenous.

To his left he heard another low growl. He turned his head sharply and saw a black wolf approaching from his side. Before he knew it another wolf was crouched to his right, baring its pearly teeth at him.

He'd never make it if he ran. Four legs were far faster than two. And there were three wolves staring him down, just waiting for him to make a break for it.

He was trapped. The wolves closed in on him, narrowing the distance between them.

Nick's heart pounded in his chest.

_Oh, shit,_ he thought as the big, gray wolf prepared to spring on him.

He did the only thing he could do. He called on the Powers for protection.

With everything that he had, he called on the element of water to come to his aid. His back was to the ocean now. He could hear it surge and spray behind him. It splashed forward soaking both the wolves and himself and delaying their attack.

But it wasn't enough to stop them.

One of the wolves sprang at him and he was able to dodge its snapping jaws, deflecting its mouth to the side as he knocked it away in mid-air. It landed on a rock with a dull thud and didn't move.

The next wolf sprung at his side and bit down on his forearm, tearing into his leather jacket. He pulled at its fur and swung at it, but it refused to release his arm. The waves were still thrashing wildly against them, threatening Nick's balance.

The large, gray wolf sprung at him next, knocking him onto the rocky sand. The violent waves washed over them, gagging Nick with salty coldness and burning his eyes.

Ignoring the rough tide, Nick gritted his teeth and sent a surge of Power into the gray wolf. It whined and faltered for a moment, before recovering. Then it hovered over his neck preparing to rip into the flesh.

For a brief moment, Nick recalled his prophecy. _Is this how it ends?_ he thought to himself. _Here and now?_

"Nick!" A voice shouted. It was Deborah. She was running towards him.

She tackled the gray wolf, knocking it away from Nick and wrestling it to the soggy ground. It snapped its jaws at her, narrowly avoiding her face. She tossed a handful of wet sand into its eyes and it struggled to get away from her, growling and scratching.

Meanwhile, Nick dragged the wolf that was clinging to his forearm into the ocean and dunked it in the icy water until it eventually decided to release his arm. When its resistance was down he was finally able to send a blast of Power, knocking it out.

Back on the shore, Deborah was still struggling with the gigantic gray wolf. She grinned up at Nick when he returned; the glory of the fight was not lost on her. Together they concentrated their energies and were able to subdue the raging beast. With one last whimper, it closed its eyes and fell unconscious.

"You alright?" she asked, eying the tear in the arm of his leather jacket.

"Yeah," he responded. He was lucky he had been wearing his coat. The leather had shielded his skin from much of the attack. "What the hell are wolves doing out here?" he wondered aloud.

"You've got me," Deborah said with a shrug. "Maybe they escaped from a zoo or something. But even then," she continued, "it's rare for them to attack humans."

They started back toward Number Two. Nick couldn't hide his bewilderment. "So how do you explain all of this?"

"I don't know," replied Deborah. "Scents attract them. You didn't have a pocket full of beef jerky, did you?" she joked.

"Very funny." Nick rolled his eyes.

"Maybe someone sicced them on you for revenge," Deborah suggested in a phony, overly-dramatic voice. "You didn't knock up a park ranger's daughter or anything, did you?"

"Not that I'm aware of," he said dryly.

He didn't know why Deborah found the situation so humorous. For a few seconds he had actually wondered if this was it; if his time had come already; if it was all going to end… just like that.

It left him feeling somber inside.

Maybe Deborah could laugh in the face of death, but he certainly couldn't. The clock on his fate was ticking.

And Nick had a feeling his time was about to run out.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It would take way too long to give everyone a shout out, but please know that I'm grateful for each and every one of them. It takes a lot of effort to write such a long and detailed story, so it's nice to know that there are so many people out there reading and enjoying all the hard work. I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to get a new chapter posted! (Real life always gets in the way.) The good news is that there are only a few chapters left in the story! So stay tuned because things are really kicking into overdrive here… I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

* * *

Cassie shivered in her jacket.

Even though it was still early, the night sky was beautiful. The bluff behind her house was the perfect vantage point. The heavens above were unobstructed and she could see for miles, until the ocean and the sky became one fuzzy blur of darkness. The sound of the waves crashing on the rocky shore below was soothing and peaceful. Cassie could rest here for hours, despite the cold, sorting her thoughts and daydreaming.

_My very own Fortress of Solitude_, she thought to herself with a slight laugh.

"Cassie?" The voice behind her was hesitant.

Sigh. _Well, so much for the solitude part. Superman definitely has me beat on that one._

Cassie turned to see Laurel standing a few yards back, unsure of whether or not to proceed. Cassie opened her mouth to say, "I don't bite," but the look on Laurel's face stopped her cold.

"What happened?" asked Cassie, a bubble of concern already forming in her chest.

"There's been another attack," Laurel replied.

An invisible weight seemed to land on Cassie's small frame.

_This is all your fault_, a voice inside her head scolded.

"Who? When?" Cassie forced herself to ask. She didn't want to know. She couldn't possibly take any more guilt, but somehow she needed to hear this. She needed to know what she was responsible for.

"Nick was attacked by wolves on the beach tonight-"

Cassie's heart leapt to her throat. "Nick?" she interrupted.

_His prophecy!_

Oh. My. God.

This couldn't be happening. This had to be a nightmare or something. It was just too terrible to be real.

Laurel nodded. "He's ok. Just a few scrapes," she said before Cassie could ask. "Deborah managed to help him get away."

Relief overwhelmed Cassie's senses and she couldn't control the sob that escaped from her throat. "I-I thought for a second that he was…"

Laurel stepped closer, putting an arm around Cassie's shoulders. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Everyone's pretty shaken up. I just wanted to tell you to be careful. Something's going on and we all need to be on our guard. We're holding an emergency meeting about it tomorrow at lunch in the old science wing."

They sat there for a few moments in silence, both girls with tears in their eyes.

Laurel shook her head softly. "Nick's really lucky that he wasn't seriously hurt. I mean, look what happened to Sally. She's still in a coma at New Salem General."

"So you guys think what happened to Sally is connected?" Cassie asked.

_Oh, God, what if they put it all together? What if they realize I did this?_

Cassie's heart thudded rapidly as she tried to control her inner panic.

Laurel nodded. "Yeah. The attack on Diana, too."

Cassie's stomach sank even further. She swallowed nervously.

"Don't worry, Cassie. Melanie and Diana have figured out who is behind all this." Laurel patted her on the back softly.

"What? They have? How?"

_Oh, God. Everyone is going to hate me!_ For a brief moment, Cassie considered throwing herself off the bluff.

"Well, the answer is obvious isn't it?" Laurel seemed puzzled by Cassie's reaction. "It's Faye."

"Faye?"

"Yeah, Faye. Who else?"

Cassie blinked. _They really think Faye is behind this?_

"She had a motive for every attack," explained Laurel. "She was jealous of Carl's minor flirtations with Diana. She was furious with Sally at the dance. And she sure was ticked off when she found out about you and Nick the other night."

Cassie's cheeks flushed slightly.

"She was shocked, at first," Laurel commented.

"I guess she was," admitted Cassie. Faye had thought that Cassie was planning to seduce Adam, after all.

"Yeah, for some reason she thought you were sick that night. That was why she told Diana to go by your house and check on you," Laurel shrugged. "Sorry about walking in on you like that."

"Wait a second. Faye told Diana to come by my house?"

Laurel nodded.

_That bitch! She set me up!_ Cassie realized.

Faye had known that Cassie was planning to seduce Adam. So she sent Diana over to Cassie's house to interrupt.

A flash of anger tore through Cassie's system. _Faye Chamberlain had better watch out!_

"Cassie, you're shaking," said Laurel.

The rage was almost overwhelming. It took everything that Cassie had in order to rein it in. After a moment she sighed, hoping to give off a calm and collected appearance.

Laurel tugged her to her feet. "You should go inside and get some rest. Out of everyone I told tonight, you took the news the hardest."

Cassie allowed herself to be led towards the back door of her house.

Something wriggled in an upstairs window of Number Eleven. Cassie turned her head just in time to see Sean ducking behind the curtains.

"That rotten little spy," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" asked Laurel.

"Oh, nothing," replied Cassie, "just a voyeur next door."

* * *

Cassie waited. As soon as she saw Faye heading down the hall toward their first period class, Cassie sprung into action. She stalked directly toward the dark haired girl and stopped directly in her path, forcing Faye to a halt.

"You set me up." Cassie's voice was flat. Her blue eyes were as hard and cold as steel.

Faye raised an elegant eyebrow. "I don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You sent Diana to my house after the dance. You wanted her to walk in on me and Adam."

"Well, that's not what happened, is it?" Faye smirked.

"You're a bitch," Cassie told her.

"And you're a slut." Faye winked. "After all your whining and crying over dear old Adam, you were awful quick to be jumping in the sack with Nick."

Cassie gritted her teeth.

"Imagine my surprise when I heard you were going after my leftovers." Faye shook her head in mock disappointment. "Are you always this eager for used goods?"

"Oh, Faye, you're so funny," said Cassie, keeping her cool. Then she smiled maliciously. "You make it sound like you chose to get rid of Nick, when we both know it was the other way around. _He_ rejected _you_, remember? _You're_ the garbage, the leftovers, the mistake from the past that won't go away."

Faye's amber eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "You're going to pay for that."

Cassie fingered the piece of onyx in her pocket. It was as hot as a fireplace poker. "Am I?" she asked, completely unfazed. Then she laughed.

Faye was stunned. That hadn't been the reaction that she'd been expecting.

"Sometimes I think you forget who I am," whispered Cassie slowly, channeling the energy inside of her. She could sense its darkness, like a giant cloud of smoke, flowing through her veins. She twirled her index finger in Faye's directly lazily.

The black-haired girl shuddered reflexively.

"I thought you liked the dark stuff?" mocked Cassie.

Faye's eyes were like two angry flames. "You shouldn't have done that."

Cassie laughed again, losing herself in the black abyss of power. She was spiraling out of control now, but she didn't care.

She spotted Portia standing a few feet away, watching their heated interaction with revulsion.

"Enjoying the show?" she asked, taking a step toward the other girl. Another burst of wicked laughter bubbled up inside.

Portia's eyes widened in terror.

Cassie suddenly felt two sets of strong arms bracing her from the sides, pulling her back toward the opposite side of the hall.

Diana was yelling something in the distance.

Cassie continued to laugh with reckless abandon as the world turned topsy-turvy.

Then everything faded to blackness.

* * *

When Cassie came to she found herself sitting in the old science wing, nestled in the far corner of a burned out classroom. The other kids in the coven were sitting or standing in various places around the room, except for Faye, who was noticeably absent.

Diana was seated directly in front of Cassie on the floor. "She's awake," the blond girl called to the others.

"What's going on?" Cassie looked from face to face in confusion.

For some reason her entire body felt like Jello. Her limbs were lightweight and jittery; her knees were shaking. She felt cold and weak, like she was getting over a rough bout with the flu.

Adam was sitting next to Diana. His expression was grim. "We just did an intervention," he said.

"What?" _Huh?_

Melanie and Laurel were hovering behind Adam and Diana. "You've been unconscious for almost two hours," Melanie told her. "We've been cleansing the dark energy from you."

_What?_ Cassie's thoughts repeated.

There were tears in Diana's eyes. Laurel's, too.

Cassie noticed Nick sitting off to the side with Deborah and the Hendersons. He was leaning forward in his chair, a worried expression on his normally stoic face.

Suzan and Sean stood by the window on the opposite side of the room. Sean was fidgeting nervously. Suzan smacked him on the arm and told him to stop.

"Dark energy?" Cassie gasped. She leaned her head back against the soot covered wall behind her.

Did they know everything? Had they figured out about the spell?

Cassie glanced from Diana to Adam, and then to Nick. She could feel tears threatening to start at any minute.

"We took your onyx away," said Diana.

"And did several spells to release you," chimed Melanie. "I don't know how you got saturated with something so strong. I have never seen anything like it before."

Cassie's heart thudded in relief. _They don't know about the spell. Thank God._

Diana nodded. "Whatever it was, it was vile and awful. It was taking you over, bit by bit."

Cassie recalled the darkness streaming in through her window after she had performed the spell. It had been affecting her for weeks.

But it was gone now. She could feel it. Her body was free.

But was the dark energy still lingering around New Salem? Was it going to attack someone else? Or had the cleansing gotten rid of it altogether?

There was no way of knowing for sure.

"Cassie, did Faye do this to you? Did she put you up to something?" Adam asked.

Cassie shook her head. "No. Faye didn't have anything to do with this."

"I'm not so sure," said Melanie. "She could have done something to you that you weren't aware of." Much of the animosity that Melanie had shown her in the last few weeks had disappeared, which was nice.

"I have to agree, especially with everything that has happened lately." Diana's face was somber. "We know that Faye was behind the other attacks. She was probably responsible for this, too."

"She's got to be stopped," Laurel added, "before someone gets killed."

_Someone already has_, thought Cassie, remembering Logan Bainbridge. And it wasn't Faye's fault.

_Oh, God, what am I going to do?_

"We've got to find Faye as soon as possible." Adam's voice carried an undercurrent of tightly controlled anger.

The others agreed immediately and the room became filled with conflicting ideas and hurried voices. It was too much for Cassie to absorb in her weakened state. She bit her lip and tried to stay calm.

Suzan was already listing places that Faye might be. Deborah was cracking her knuckles. Chris and Doug were pacing the floor anxiously.

The atmosphere in the room was increasingly hostile.

_Find her. Get her. _Cassie could almost hear their thoughts.

Everything was happening too fast. It was another witch hunt, except this time it was led by the witches. And once again the wrong person had been fingered.

Cassie knew she had to do something.

"Wait," she said. No one heard her over the noise in the room. "Everybody stop!" she cried out, louder this time.

The room went silent. Everyone was staring at her.

"We can't do this." Cassie found her focus settling on Diana's eyes.

_Diana is your friend. Your sister. She loves you_. _Tell her the truth._

"And why the hell not?" asked Deborah. "Faye deserves to pay for what she did to Nick."

"And Diana," Laurel said.

"Sally, too," Adam added.

"Faye didn't do it." Cassie forced herself to be strong; to say the words that she so desperately needed to in order to set herself free. Even if they all hated her after this, it wouldn't matter.

The truth needed to come out.

The guilt had been eating away at her for far too long. And Cassie couldn't stand by while an innocent person took the fall for her actions, even if that person was Faye, and possibly deserved it.

"Faye didn't do it," Cassie repeated. "I did."

There were several gasps from around the Circle.

"Don't be ridiculous," Nick scoffed. "You didn't set a pack of wolves after me."

Cassie turned to look at him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I didn't mean to."

Nick stood and walked over to where she was sitting on the floor. He kneeled down beside her, grabbing her hand. "You didn't do it." His mahogany eyes were searching her face, gazing at her earnestly. "I was there. I could feel that energy seeping out of the ground and from the wolves. It wasn't you. It could _never_ have been you."

"You didn't try to drown me either," said Diana, leaning forward and placing an arm on Cassie's knee.

Cassie shook her head. "No, but it was my fault. I'm responsible for this."

"Why on Earth would you think that?" Diana asked.

_It's now or never_, thought Cassie, as she looked around the room at the faces of her friends.

"I performed a spell that released a dark energy," Cassie confessed. "I didn't know what was going to happen. I swear." The tears were beginning to fall now. "I never meant for anyone to get hurt."

"I don't know of any spell that releases a dark energy capable of that," Suzan pointed out.

"It wasn't just any spell, was it?" Adam's voice was soft, but his blue-green eyes were piercing.

Cassie had a feeling he already knew what the spell had been about. Her eyes locked on his.

"Black magic," Melanie murmured, drawing in a sharp intake of breath.

"Oh, my God," exclaimed Sean, his eyes wide.

"But how?" Laurel was confused. "Ingredients for something that powerful aren't that easy to come by, unless you're into animal mutilation or grave robbing."

"Ingredients." Nick looked at Cassie thoughtfully. "Like Claws of a Black Cat Killed at Midnight?"

Cassie flashed back to an image from her stay in the Midwest: Nick picking up a small container off the darkened sidewalk and squinting at the label. _"What are you doing with _this_?"_ he had asked her.

"I think I know where you can buy something like that," Nick murmured, jarring Cassie's thoughts.

He let go of Cassie's hand.

"Where?" asked Diana.

"A tiny witch shop in Nebraska," Nick replied. "Isn't that right, Cassie?"

"Nick, I'm sorry-" Cassie began, her heart sinking in her chest.

His face was cold. "You lied to me."

"I know. It was wrong. And I'm sorry." Cassie's voice shook.

"You told me it was for a healing spell, but we both know that wasn't true," Nick continued. His icy expression cut her to the bone. "So tell us, Cassie, what was it really for?"

Adam's jaw was rigid and his eyes were burning. He repeated Nick's question. "What was it for?"

The way Adam was looking at her could only mean one thing. He knew.

"What did you do?" Adam demanded slowly, his breath coming out in tiny gasps. "What did you use my blood for?"

He was determined to make her say it.

"I changed my fate," whispered Cassie. "I broke the soulmate connection between us. And the one between you and Diana."

There was a stunned silence. No one spoke for several long minutes.

"Oh, Goddess." Diana blinked several times. She looked shell-shocked by the revelation.

"Is that even possible?" asked Suzan. Melanie looked bewildered. Chris was standing with his mouth open.

"No way." Doug shook his head.

"It's true," said Adam. "I can feel it. I've felt it for weeks."

Nick stared at Cassie, his mask of perfect cool at the verge of becoming undone. "Why?" he asked.

"It was just all so unfair," Cassie sobbed. "Adam could only chose one of us." She gestured to Diana. "And Melanie said that if soulmates are apart that they could never find true happiness. That meant that no matter what Adam chose someone was going to be doomed for the rest of their lives."

Without even hesitating, Diana leaned forward and clasped Cassie in a tight hug. "You didn't mean to cause any harm," she cooed. "Your intentions were good."

"Do you hate me?" Cassie asked between bursts of tears.

"No, of course not," Diana shook her head. She was crying, too.

Adam still looked upset, but he was calmer. He took a deep breath and sat back on his knees.

"I just wanted to be in control of my own fate," Cassie continued.

"The whole point of fate is that it's beyond your control," Adam said.

"Says the boy who gets to choose his destiny," Cassie retorted.

Adam winced. "Touché."

"And so this spell released a dark energy," Melanie began after a few minutes, changing the subject, "which saturated your aura and attacked Diana, Nick and Sally."

Cassie nodded. "The witch who sold me the spell and ingredients warned me about it. She told me that darkness followed, but I did it anyway." She bit her lip and paused. "And the dark energy attacked Logan Bainbridge, too."

"Portia's brother?" gasped Diana. "What makes you think his accident had anything to do with this?"

"A few days before it happened I overheard Portia saying horrible things about me. I was furious. Enraged. I wanted her to feel terrible pain. And the next thing I knew, Logan drove over a cliff." Cassie put her head into her hands. "I killed him. I'm a murderer."

Diana held her tightly as she cried. "That's not true."

Adam looked over at Nick and blinked thoughtfully for a moment.

"What's on your mind?" Laurel asked him.

"Wolves," he muttered.

"What?"

"Something just isn't adding up here." Adam shook his head. Laurel looked at him curiously. "Nevermind."

Diana finally succeeded in calming Cassie down. "Everything is going to be alright now," the blond girl murmured.

Cassie truly hoped Diana was right. She leaned against her friend gratefully.

No one noticed the lone figure slinking away from the doorway, hurrying down the blackened hallway toward the stairs.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer:** These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**A/N**: Thanks to all the reviewers! I truly love hearing what you all think and it certainly keeps me motivated to write and post something as soon as I can. So without any further ado, the story continues…

* * *

Cassie was surprised to find Nick on her doorstep just after sunset. She hadn't seen him since the intervention earlier that afternoon and he hadn't seemed too pleased when he'd learned that she'd lied to him. He didn't look happy at the moment either.

But then again, Nick never really did.

"Can we take a walk?" Nick asked, his breath visible in the chilly night air.

"Sure," Cassie replied. "Let me grab my coat."

Minutes later they were walking on the beach in relative quiet. High tide was on its way, lapping further and further inland with each passing wave. The salty ocean spray was shockingly cold.

Nick paused for a second and looked out at the darkened water. His hands were in his jacket pockets and he seemed sort of agitated.

Cassie wanted to ask him what was on his mind, but she was partly afraid of what he would say. She didn't want to hear how disappointed in her he was. Or how let down he had been because she had lied to him regarding the spell. Diana may have forgiven her already, but the rest of the group was going to be slow warming up to her again. Not that Cassie could blame them.

Still staring out at the ocean, Nick hesitated for a moment before beginning. "Earlier today when I asked you why you did the spell…" his voice trailed off. Then he shook his head. "Nah, forget it. It's stupid. I shouldn't have bothered you."

"Nick, you're not bothering me. What about earlier?"

"I don't know." He paused, turning to look at her finally.

Cassie felt her lips part in a muted gasp. Nick's guard was down and it was like looking at a stranger. His eyes were wide and earnest and the expression on his face was full of aching; a bittersweet mix of longing and pain. He made no attempt to cover it up.

"I must be completely crazy to do this," he said. He took a deep breath. "But part me of me wishes that you had done all this—breaking the soulmate connection and everything—for me. For us. So that we could be together."

_Wow._

Nick had just laid it all out on the line.

Cassie gulped anxiously. He was looking at her, expecting her to say something, anything. But she didn't know what to say!

_Oh, God._ Her heart thudded loudly. _What do I do?_

She cared about Nick. A lot. But Adam was still in the picture. And she had to admit that she cared a lot about Adam, too.

Cassie's jaw dropped open, but no words came out.

She watched as the slight glimmer of hope in Nick's expression was replaced by a solemn, stoic resignation. Nick's icy cool front had returned.

"Oh, Nick…" It was all Cassie could manage to say.

"I knew that wasn't the case anyway," Nick replied. "It's OK. You don't have to say anything."

His voice sounded steady, even normal, but Cassie knew that he was hurt.

"Nick, I'm sorry." Cassie stepped forward and placed her hand on his jacket sleeve. "I honestly just don't know what I want right now. Or who I want to be with. But I do have feelings for you. It's just all so confusing…"

Nick studied her face for a minute, then turned to look out at the ocean again. "Was what happened the other night after the dance just about black magic?"

Cassie bit her lip. She definitely hadn't been in the right frame of mind that night. The spell had sort of possessed her, warped her thinking.

Seeing her expression, Nick shrugged. "Forget it. I don't want to know." He nodded toward the bluff and they slowly made their way over to her house.

A thick silence hung between them, making the night air seem somehow colder and heavier. The trickles of moonlight from above made Nick's exterior seem even more distant and harsh. Cassie wanted to reach out and bridge that distance between them, smoothing Nick's rough edges away, but she resisted the urge. She needed to be more careful of his emotions from now on. She couldn't keep hurting him. He didn't deserve it.

When they reached her backyard, Cassie said an awkward goodbye and started for the house.

"I think about it a lot, you know." Nick's voice rang out behind her.

"What?" Cassie turned to look at him.

His mask of flawless indifference was slipping a bit. "Fate," he said. "_My_ fate." He picked up a rock and threw it over the bluff into the thrashing water below. "Changing fate." He shot her a grin. It was a little wild. Perhaps a little desperate, too.

_Whoa_. Mr. Always-Perfectly-Composed was starting to lose it a little. It was sort of unbelievable. Was Nick really starting to crack?

Cassie stood by with wide eyes as Nick casually tossed several more rocks over the bluff. The last one was fairly large, possibly ten pounds or more. Nick watched it hit the waves with a small plop that was muffled by the dramatic height. Then he reached into his jacket for a cigarette before realizing that Cassie was staring at him. He shrugged at her and with a flick of his wrist tossed the whole pack over the edge, too.

"Nick, are you alright?" Cassie asked.

He didn't respond. He simply stared out at the rocky waves.

"Nick-" Cassie took a step toward him.

"I don't blame you, you know," he interrupted. His expression was suddenly solemn and darkly serious. "I'd do the same if I could. Black magic or not."

Cassie couldn't help the tears that started to form in her eyes then. Instinctively, she reached out to pull him close to her. Nick spun around, grabbing her outstretched forearms and forcing her to look up at him. His mahogany eyes searched her face. "So will you help me or what?" he asked.

"Help you?"

"With the spell," Nick gasped. "Don't you see? I've got to do it. I don't have a choice either. This is _life_ and _death_ we're talking about. I don't want to end up in a pine box before I'm twenty-five, like my parents did."

A single teardrop streamed down Cassie's cheek.

"Besides," Nick continued, "after I change my fate you guys can just do a cleansing spell and get rid of the dark energy. So it will be no big deal. No one has to get hurt."

It was obvious that he had given this a lot of thought.

"We have to do this. Please?" he begged, somehow still managing to sound half-indifferent to it all. His eyes were another story. There was a vulnerable, lost boy look in them and it was killing her.

Cassie shook her head softly. "Nick, I-I don't have the spell anymore. The scroll disappeared and most of the ingredients were used up. And it was sort of a soulmate-specific spell anyway, using blood from a couple. I wouldn't even know where to begin with something like this."

Nick's tall frame stiffened. He nodded briskly. "I understand. It was a dumb idea anyway."

Cassie could feel him pulling away from her, retreating yet again behind his walls. She held fast to his leather jacket, refusing to let him go. "It's not a dumb idea," she cried out. "I'm the only stupid one here! I've been so selfish this entire time thinking about my own ridiculous problems when you've had to deal with _this_." She shook her head, blinking back hot tears. "I should have helped you a long time ago."

"But I thought you just said you couldn't?" Nick asked.

"_I _can't. But I know where we can find someone who might."

Realization settled in over Nick's features. "Nebraska."

Cassie nodded. "Exactly."

"But Cass…" Nick paused and swallowed. "I don't know. I just get the feeling that something bad is going to happen really soon. I don't know that I can wait until we find the time to go out there."

"So go home and pack your things," Cassie replied, wiping her cheeks. Her voice was stronger now, determined. "We'll leave tonight."

Nick stared at her for a brief second and then pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you," he said. "You're amazing." He bent to kiss her on the lips, but at the last second Cassie turned her head, pulling away.

"Nick, I—I can't." It's not that she didn't want to, but she needed to get her head straight. That was for certain. She didn't want to lead anyone on.

He looked disappointed, but he handled it.

"I'll be back soon," he told her. Then he walked around the side of her house, disappearing into the night.

* * *

Nick had just gotten to his car in Cassie's driveway when he noticed something odd. A car was parked at the very end of the street, just past the vacant lot at Number Thirteen.

He could barely see it at this distance and in the dim light, but the make and model were definitely familiar.

It was a gray BMW. And it was empty.

* * *

Cassie was on her way to the back door when Portia stepped of the darkness next to her grandmother's honeysuckle bushes. Two oversized guys, built like college wrestlers, flanked the blond girl on either side.

Portia looked half-crazed and her eyes were red-rimmed as if she had been crying. "You killed my brother, you witch! Don't even _try_ to lie about it! I heard you confessing today in the old science wing!"

Panic rose in Cassie's throat. Whatever Portia and her gang had come here to do, it couldn't be anything good. Cassie took a few steps backward and then spun around and tried to run in the other direction. But it was no use, Portia's other brother, Jordan, was already there.

And he had a gun.

"Oh, God," Cassie whispered, as Jordan slowly lifted the black handgun and pointed it right at her chest.

She stood motionless in the grass, her breath coming out in shallow whisps.

"Black magic, huh?" Jordan lifted an eyebrow at her. "Well, let me tell you something you little _witch_." He spat the word out like it was poison. "You make a deal with the devil and there's going to be hell to pay." He paused, his finger on the trigger. "This is for Logan."

Cassie flinched instinctively, but the shot never came. The second Jordan pulled the trigger someone knocked into him from the side forcing the gun to miss.

"_Nick_!" Cassie cried out as the dark-haired boy succeeded in taking Jordan to the ground. She felt two sets of strong arms grabbing her from the sides, stopping her from getting closer. _Portia's goons_. Cassie struggled to break free from their grasp, but it was useless.

"Whatever you do, don't let her go!" commanded Portia.

Meanwhile, Nick banged Jordan's arm into the ground several times, causing the gun to skitter away into the yard. Jordan was tough, but he was no match for a born fighter like Nick. He managed to land a few punches to Nick's face and torso, but that was it. Jordan was looking pretty awful under the care of Nick's fists. In fact, it seemed like he was about to give up.

Cassie started to feel her body flush with relief.

Then she heard the gunshot.

_What the hell?_ For a few seconds Cassie was filled with confusion. The handgun was still in the grass a few feet away from Nick and Jordan. So what on earth was that?

She found out a few seconds later when she saw Nick slide limply off of Jordan and onto his back. A dark splotch of red warmth was growing on his t-shirt beneath his unzipped jacket. He blinked rapidly, staring up at the night sky.

"_NICK_!" screamed Cassie. "Oh my God."

Oh. My. God.

This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't be.

But it was.

And the living nightmare continued with Jordan slowly getting to his feet. A small, silver revolver was in his right hand.

"My spare." He grinned through a bloody mouth.

Cassie screamed again, kicking and clawing against the two guys that held her.

Jordan threw back his head and laughed. "Scream all you want," he told her. "It only makes it more fun for your boyfriend to watch. Just think—the last thing he will ever see is you-_dying_." He laughed again. "Kind of poetic, don't you think?"

_Oh, God._ She had to do something. She had to stop this!

Cassie could feel her Power rising within. She tried hard to focus, channeling the current of energy into a single concentrated burst.

In her mind she pictured a scorching fire, burning brightly. She closed her eyes tightly and placed one hand on each of the men holding her.

Within seconds their clothing burst into flames. There were screams and shouts and each boy abandoned her, throwing themselves onto the ground in an effort to put out the flames.

Portia cried out. "Do something, Jordan! Shoot her!"

Jordan stepped forward and placed the small, silver gun against her temple. He pushed her to her knees.

Cassie could still see Nick lying in the grass on the far side of the yard, sputtering for air. She tried to gather her Power again for one last burst to direct at Jordan, but it was futile. She was tapped dry after igniting the fires only a few seconds ago. It was just too soon.

She swallowed dryly.

_This was it. _

Somewhere in a distant part of her brain, she wondered how badly it would hurt. She braced herself for the impact.

Just then another shot rang out. Jordan gasped and pitched forward.

"Son of a bitch!" he hissed. A bullet had passed through his shoulder.

"Get away from her!" a little voice cried out.

Cassie's jaw dropped open in shock. It was Sean.

_That little Peeping Tom!_

"I said get away from her! Now!" Sean yelled.

"Oh, you're dead you little shit!" Jordan roared.

Cassie jumped to her feet while he was distracted and smacked him hard, right on his wounded shoulder. He cried out in agony and Cassie knocked the smaller gun out of his hand.

Sean stepped forward still aiming the black gun at Jordan. He walked past Nick's fallen form, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"You shot Nick," he said. "_You shot Nick_!" His voice was shaking badly now.

Jordan looked terrified. Portia had already turned and fled, following the two brawny guys who'd been burned.

"YOU SHOT NICK, YOU ASSHOLE!" Sean screamed. He pulled the trigger again. This time he missed.

Jordan took the opportunity and ran, pushing past Cassie and heading towards the other side of the yard, disappearing after the others. Cassie didn't try to stop him. Instead she hurried over to Nick, dropping to her knees beside him.

"Nick," she gasped. "Oh my, God."

It was worse than she had imagined.

Nick looked extremely pale and there was a small trickle of blood running from his lips to his chin. His breath was coming out in ragged bursts. And scariest of all, he was lying in a pool of blood, spreading from his back and chest.

"Cassie, what is going on?" Her mother came running over from the driveway at the front of the house, still in her work clothes with her purse dangling from one arm. She cried out when she saw Nick.

"Call 9-1-1," Cassie told her. Her mother nodded and hurried into the house. Cassie glanced back at Nick and gently smoothed his dark hair out of his eyes with one of her hands.

"I told you he spied on you," murmured Nick. He grinned slightly, which caused him to wince. Then he looked over at Sean who was standing behind Cassie.

"How can you joke right now?" Cassie asked, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tightly.

"Don't have much time left," Nick said between sharp hisses of breath. "What else am I going to do?"

"Don't talk like that!" Cassie scolded. Her eyes were burning with unshed tears. "You listen to me-you're going to be just fine. I _know_ you are. An ambulance is on its way."

He shook his head slightly in disagreement. "Prophecy."

"Screw the prophecy!" she exclaimed. "It's all just a bunch of bullshit! You're strong, Nick. You're a fighter. You can make it."

He reached out with his other hand and touched her cheek, wiping away some of the teardrops that had spilled over.

"It's OK," Nick said. His voice was quickly becoming strained. "It was… worth it." He smiled at her and then winced sharply. His hand fell away from her cheek. Another trickle of blood ran over his bottom lip and trailed across his chin. "Cass-"

"Sssh, Nick, don't try to talk." Cassie squeezed his hand.

"Cass-" He gulped painfully, his dark eyes burning into hers. "Need to… t-tell you…" He was starting to shiver now.

It was terrifying to watch.

"Need to tell me what?" Cassie asked, trying to sound calm for his sake.

Nick opened his mouth, but couldn't form the words. He began to shudder violently. Then suddenly he went limp and still.

The hand in her palm was motionless.

"Nick?" Cassie's voice sounded numb, hollow to her own ears. "Nick?" she repeated again. There was no response.

Those beautiful mahogany eyes were gazing up at the moonlight, but there was no life behind them.

_This can't be happening. This just can't be happening._

"_NICK_!" she yelled. "_NO_!" She began pulling on his shoulders, shaking his lifeless form. "You _can't_! You can't do this! No! I won't let you!"

Sean tried to pull her back and she smacked at him violently. Nick's blood was smeared all over her coat and hands. It left a terrible imprint on Sean's sweatshirt. Sean, too, was crying. And he didn't let go.

They both held each other, sobbing hysterically.

Cassie's mom joined them seconds later, wrapping her arms around them both.

It felt good to have her mother's arms around her. Sean's, too. And Cassie was surprised she could even register it considering the amount of shock she was in.

But it was more than that. There was something there. A flicker of something. A connection. An energy. A spark.

_A Power._

"We have to save him," Cassie said.

Sean just sobbed harder.

Cassie's mother shook her head softly. "We can't, Cassie. He's gone. We don't have that kind of ability."

"_No_." Cassie refused to listen. "We have to try," she insisted. "_We have to at least try, damn it_!"

She grabbed one of her mother's hands and one of Sean's hands. "Concentrate!" she told them. "Think as hard as you can about Nick and how much you want him to live."

Cassie closed her eyes and felt her inner Power come to life. She could sense both Sean and her Mother and tried to channel their energies into one simple focus: _Nick_.

She could feel their Powers coalescing and growing. It was almost blindingly hot where they were seated.

"What's happening?" Sean cried out.

Cassie's mother was wide-eyed and shaking.

Slowly, Cassie pulled her hands loose from their grasps. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and placed both hands over Nick's chest. Then she recited:

"_Earth and fire, _

_Wind and sea,_

_Bring this life,_

_Back to me._

_Make this heart_

_Begin to beat_

_Wake him from_

_This endless sleep." _

Cassie felt a jolt of tremendous power flow from her body, through her hands and into Nick. It was over in seconds and it left her feeling weak and light headed.

She glanced down at Nick expectantly.

Nothing happened.

Cassie sat back on her heels, too numb to cry.

She stared at Nick's perfectly carved face for a few seconds before gently reaching out and closing his eyelids. Then she sat next to him, holding his hand until the ambulance arrived a few moments later.

The paramedics shuffled her aside, their faces grim as they checked for vital signs.

"Who is the next of kin?" One of them asked Cassie's mom. They were putting Nick onto a stretcher. "They'll need to be notified."

Cassie's mom nodded and said that she would take care of it.

"We're very sorry," said a different paramedic to Cassie. Cassie didn't even blink. She was beyond thinking at this point.

"Holy shit," exclaimed the medic standing closest to the stretcher. "We've got a pulse here. I swear to God we didn't have one a second ago! This kid's alive!"

The other guys rushed to help put the stretcher into the ambulance.

"He's alive!" Sean repeated. "Did you hear that? He's alive!"

Cassie felt her knees buckle and she slid to the ground. Then she cried so hard that she couldn't breathe.

Nick was alive.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**A/N:** I'm sorry it's been forever since I've updated, but I'm hoping to wrap this story up very soon! Thank you all so much for all of the wonderful reviews. It really makes all of this writing worth it! It would take far too long to give everyone an individual shot out here, but please know that I truly appreciate it.

* * *

Adam arrived at the hospital as quickly as he could with Diana, Melanie and Laurel in tow. They found Cassie and Sean on the second floor in the waiting room for the ICU.

Adam hurried over to where Cassie was sitting and gasped. "Cassie. Oh, my God."

Her hair was a disheveled mess and her powder blue jacket was covered in blood. Streaks of the dark liquid had already dried on her cheeks and hands. Her eyes were dry but red-rimmed.

Sean was sitting next to her looking shell-shocked.

Suddenly it was all too real.

Suzan's voice on the phone echoed through Adam's head.

"_Nick's been shot. They don't know if he's going to make it or not."_ The strawberry blonde had been close to hysterical when she had called ten minutes earlier, but somehow Adam had managed to keep it together and stay calm. Probably because somewhere deep down inside, he hadn't truly believed that this was happening.

But here they were at New Salem General Hospital. And the _blood_…

The blood was everywhere. _Nick's blood_.

And it was real.

He fought the urge to throw up. He was starting to feel a little dizzy.

Deb and her parents arrived seconds later, with Faye, Suzan and the Henderson brothers at their heels.

"Where is he?" demanded Deborah.

"He's in surgery," Cassie replied numbly.

Deborah's mother was sobbing.

"Cassie, what happened?" Diana asked. Her green eyes were wet.

"Jordan. Jordan Bainbridge. He was going to kill me! But Nick stopped him." Cassie shook her head. "Nick saved me. But Jordan-Jordan shot him."

"It's really bad," Sean whispered.

_His prophecy_, recalled Adam. _He might not make it through this._

Cassie saw the look that passed over his face.

"He's going to pull through," she said. "He's going to make it." She spoke with absolute conviction.

"But his prophecy-" started Suzan with a sob.

"No." Cassie shook her head.

_She's in complete denial_, realized Adam. He and Diana exchanged a painful glance.

"Oh, this is just fantastic," said Faye. She looked angry. "Nick's in there dying and Cassie's in crazyland."

"He's not going to die!" yelled Cassie, getting to her feet.

"So the Oracle is wrong, huh? Is that it?" A solitary tear ran down one of Faye's cheeks.

Deb's parents looked around in worried confusion.

"Nick's supposed to die," explained Chris with a shrug.

"But he already did!" exclaimed Sean, causing several gasps from the group. "We brought him back in Cassie's yard. We did a spell."

"What are you, delusional or something?" Melanie snapped, her emotions raw. "You can't bring someone back from the dead like that. No one can do that."

"_We_ did." Cassie turned to face the other girl. "So you see—the prophecy has been fulfilled already. Nick is _not_ going to die. He already did."

"You're serious?" Adam asked. This couldn't be possible.

Cassie nodded.

"But how?" Diana's eyes were wide.

"I don't know. But he was gone. And then somehow he had a pulse again." Cassie shrugged and slumped back into her chair.

"Maybe you were just confused. Maybe you thought he died and he really hadn't," Adam began.

Cassie shook her head. "No."

"But-" Adam continued.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," Cassie said. She looked exhausted.

Adam sighed and sat down in one of the chairs across from her.

Cassie was probably just in shock. She wasn't thinking clearly.

It simply wasn't possible to bring someone back from the dead with a spell. Witches didn't have that kind of power.

Adam bit his lip.

Something wasn't adding up here. But it was just too much to think about at the moment. They had enough to deal with.

All that mattered right now was Nick. And Adam hoped to God that Nick was going to pull through.

* * *

Deborah and her family met with the surgeons an hour later. The dark-haired girl came back out into the waiting room to share the news with the group.

"He made it through the surgery alright," she said. There were various murmurs of relief throughout the room. "The docs said that they had never seen somebody lose that much blood and still be alive. They said it was virtually impossible. They kept saying it was a miracle." She looked over at Cassie and Sean. "You guys really _did_ bring him back didn't you?"

Sean nodded.

"Yeah," said Cassie.

Suddenly the biker's face crumpled. She'd held on—she'd been so strong all evening and now she couldn't fight the tears that were starting to fall. Suzan put an arm around her.

"Is he awake yet?" asked Doug.

Deborah shook her head no. "The doctors said that the next twenty-four hours are critical. If-" she paused, taking a breath. "If he makes it through the next twenty-four hours, there's a good chance that he'll live."

Adam shifted in his plastic hospital chair, trying to contain his anxiety. It was going to a long night, full of worry for everyone. He looked over at Cassie, who was sitting in a zombie-like trance. Her face was still smudged with dried blood. "You ought to go home and get cleaned up," he told her. "There's nothing that we can do here at the moment."

"I'm not leaving," she responded. She barely looked at him.

Adam was about to insist that she take a few minutes for herself when Diana placed a gentle hand on his arm and shook her head softly. "Let her be," she whispered. "I'll take care of her."

Diana went to the restroom and returned with several wet paper towels. She sat down next to Cassie and softly began wiping Cassie's cheeks and hands.

She was still cleaning Cassie up when the police officer arrived. He was tall in his brown uniform and he had a tired, but stern expression on his face. He looked over the group of worried teens for a moment before beginning.

"We've apprehended the two Bainbridge kids," he informed them.

That caught everyone's attention. There was a gasp from the crowd and several murmurs.

"So they're in jail?" Laurel spoke up.

The officer nodded. "For the time being. There will be a bail hearing tomorrow."

"Bail? You mean they might get out?" Deborah's hands were in fists as she stood up from her seat.

"It's possible that they might be released pending their trials," the officer shrugged. "This was a pretty serious crime, though. I wouldn't be surprised if the judge denied bail altogether. We'll have to see."

That answer obviously wasn't acceptable to Deborah and her petite face contorted with rage.

"Don't Deb," said Suzan, placing a hand on Deborah's arm. "There's nothing you can do about it." Suzan was still crying.

"If they get out of jail, we'll take care of them," Doug muttered.

"Yeah," Chris agreed, cracking his knuckles.

The policeman gave both Chris and Doug a look that said _you better watch yourselves_, before turning away.

Adam watched as the officer took a few steps closer to Cassie and Sean and began speaking. "I know I spoke with you both earlier," he said, "but I need the two of you to come down to the station and provide us with more detailed statements, on the record."

"Do we have to?" Sean groaned.

The officer nodded. "Yes. The sooner the better."

"No." Cassie's voice was flat. "I'm not leaving Nick."

"It's best if you answer our questions while the incident is still fresh in your mind," the officer insisted.

"No!" Cassie exclaimed. She grabbed at Diana's hands, which were still working the blood off her face with paper towels. "Please, Diana, make him understand! I _can't_ leave! Not until I know that Nick's ok." The raw anguish in Cassie's voice turned her plea into one of heartbreaking desperation.

To see Cassie like this was just awful. It made Adam's insides hurt. He ached to reach out to her, to hold her close, but both Diana and the police officer were in the way.

Just then Diana looked up at the policeman with her wide, green eyes. "Please, sir, this is just upsetting her more. She's been through so much tonight. Can this wait until tomorrow?"

The officer shifted a bit on his feet. "I don't know…"

"Please?" Diana repeated and Adam could feel a gentle surge of Power move in his direction.

"Well, I guess they can come by the station tomorrow," he said finally. "Just don't forget. In fact, the rest of you should probably come in for questioning, too. I get the feeling that this incident didn't just come out of nowhere." He paused and looked around, which was mildly intimidating. "And believe me, we are going to get to the bottom of this."

"Thanks, Officer Coates." Diana smiled softly, reading the nameplate on his uniform.

He gave her a grim smile in return and nodded, before heading out.

* * *

The night dragged on and on. The artificial light from the fluorescent beams overhead cast a greenish tinge on everyone and everything in the ICU waiting room, which made the night seem even more harsh and terrible. A plain black and white clock above the exit doors displayed the time as 3:07 am.

Cassie sighed and shifted in her plastic chair. Adam and Diana flanked her on each side and both were asleep in their chairs. The rest of the circle was still present, along with Deborah's parents, Cassie's mom, and a few other parents who had arrived earlier. Everyone appeared to be asleep, except for Deborah and Faye, who were in the far corner of the room. Faye was saying something quietly to Deborah, who had her arms folded across her chest.

They barely looked at Cassie when she stood.

Cassie paused and gave herself a tiny stretch. Her back was in knots after sitting in that horrible chair for hours. And she desperately needed to move her legs. They were beginning to tingle from lack of blood circulation.

Not wanting to disturb the others, Cassie wandered out through the double exit doors and into the brightly lit corridor. She sauntered aimlessly down the hall, pausing from time to time to peer down various intersecting corridors.

_This place is huge_, she thought to herself. _Not to mention depressing._

When her legs had regained most of their feeling, she turned around and casually strolled back the way she had come.

She was almost to the waiting room when she saw him.

_Nick_.

A nurse was inside his room adjusting the various IVs that were hanging next to his hospital bed. She had left the door open behind her, providing Cassie with a view, which had previously been denied.

Cassie's mouth parted in a muted gasp. Nick's eyes were closed and his tousled dark hair fell limp on his forehead. He was extremely pale, but other than that he looked like he could be just sleeping.

But he wasn't just sleeping, of course. He was still heavily sedated from the massive surgery he'd undergone only hours earlier. He probably wasn't even aware of nurse standing a few inches to his left.

Cassie took a little step into the room. She couldn't help it. He looked so vulnerable lying there like that. She longed to lie down beside him and wrap her arms around him. She wanted to place her head on his chest and hear the comforting sound of his heart beating. She was so glad that it _was_ beating.

_Nick would hate being here like this_, she thought, glancing around at all the machines in the room. He would hate every bit of it.

"What are you doing in here?"

Cassie jumped and then looked guilty at the nurse, who had turned around from the IVs.

"Sorry, I just… I just wanted to see how he was doing." Cassie bit her lip. Now that she was actually here looking at Nick's helpless form, she couldn't seem to tear herself away.

The nurse must have somehow understood. The older woman glanced out the door for a second and then considered. "You can sit with him for a while, if you want. Just don't disturb him. And if anyone asks, you came in on your own." She winked.

"Thanks," Cassie whispered gratefully.

The nurse stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind her.

There was a chair next to the bed and Cassie made her way over to it and sat down. Then she gently reached out and took Nick's hand in her own. It felt slightly cool and it gave Cassie a chill as she thought about how this same hand had gone limp and still while she had held it earlier that night...

_When Nick died._

But Nick was alive now. That was what mattered, Cassie reminded herself. She had somehow managed to bring him back to life with her mother and Sean's help. They had miraculously changed Nick's fate.

For the life of her, Cassie had no idea how it had happened. As much as she hated to admit it, Adam was right. Witches didn't have the power to bring people back from the dead.

Unless you counted necromancy, of course. But that was different. Nick wasn't a zombie corpse.

_Or was he?_

Cassie leaned forward in her chair and peered at Nick's face carefully. There were no signs of rot or decay, just smooth pale skin.

_Oh, don't be ridiculous!_ she scolded herself. There has to be a rational explanation for all of this.

Maybe it was the dark energy from the spell. Maybe she was still able to tap into it and use it somehow, like she did when she blew down a solid steel door to save Diana at the pool.

But that just didn't seem right somehow. She couldn't feel the dark energy inside her anymore. She had been cleansed of it entirely.

_Oh, who knows?_ Cassie sighed to herself. _The important thing is that our spell worked and Nick is alive._

Now that she was here with him, holding his hand, some of the raw tension was leaving her body. And before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

* * *

_They had to find her. They had to save her._

Cassie spun around in the darkness, but she couldn't see anything. She couldn't make out even a trickle of light. But she had to press forward because… because… someone was missing. Someone was in danger.

And it might be too late to save her…

"Cassie, come on!" Adam's voice cut through the blackness. Suddenly, she could see him a mere ten feet ahead of her, waving her on. "This way."

"Adam, wait! Don't go!" Cassie cried out, but the red-haired boy disappeared into the murky shadows before she could catch up.

There was a rustling sound to her left. Faye emerged from out of nowhere, a star sapphire gleaming at her throat. She didn't seem to be aware of Cassie's presence.

"I'm going to find you," she whispered solemnly. She stalked past Cassie without a glance. Her golden eyes were narrowed with purpose. "I'm going to find you…"

Find you.

_Find you…_

"_Darkness will always find you. You must be prepared."_

The Oracle's warning echoed in Cassie's head.

"What is going on?" Cassie cried out. "What is happening?"

She spun around in her confusion, but all she could see was an endless array of black.

And then there was Jordan, silhouetted by the darkness, pointing the gun at her again, about to fire. _"You make a deal with the devil and there's going to be hell to pay."_

"NO!" Cassie screamed at him. Then she turned and ran in the opposite direction, stumbling into a woman with long, chestnut hair.

It was the witch from Nebraska.

Cassie tried to shoulder past, but the older woman grabbed onto her wrist and held fast.

The woman leaned forward, her eyes wide. _"Darkness follows."_

Cassie woke up screaming.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer:** These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**A/N:** Wow! It has been a really long time since I've updated this story. I'm sorry to keep you all hanging, but real life and work always seem to get in the way. Anyway, thanks so much for all of your reviews! I really love hearing what you all think! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Cassie stepped out of the New Salem police station and into the harsh light of the midday sun. She blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust.

"I'm glad that's over with," said Suzan, who pulled a pair of designer sunglasses out of her purse and put them on.

"Me, too," agreed Diana.

The entire coven, with the exception of Nick, had just spent the last two hours answering questions from the local police. For Cassie, most of the questions were ones she had answered previously, on the night that Nick was shot, but she answered them anyway. Even though Nick had survived the first night in the hospital and the doctors said his prognosis was good, she still hated recalling what happened. The awfulness of it all… it was just too much to bear. As she stood in the parking lot of the police station with her friends, she couldn't help but feel emotionally drained.

"Guys, check it out!" Chris called. He nodded his shaggy blond head toward the station door.

Several figures were emerging. Four of them were police officers and they were surrounding a smaller person in a bright orange jumpsuit. It was Portia.

Cassie felt her teeth sink into her lower lip, drawing blood. Looking at Portia's wilted frame, stringy hair, and overall bedraggled appearance did little to wither the rage that was quietly building inside.

It was all Cassie could do to just stay still and remain where she was. Every fiber of her being wanted to rush at Portia and destroy every inch of that haughty, hateful girl.

The others must have felt the same way. There was a collective aura of static; a prickling in the air. All of the witches were staring at this pitiful excuse for a human being, who was currently being led across the parking lot to a nearby building.

Deborah and Doug each took several steps in that direction before Adam stopped them.

"Let justice take its course," Adam said. "They're taking her to the courthouse."

"I'll show her_ justice_," Doug muttered.

Deborah simply continued to stare at Portia, who was nearing the group as she crossed the sidewalk with the police officers.

Upon a closer inspection, Cassie could see that Portia was handcuffed at the wrists and her eyes were bloodshot. Portia was trying hard to stare at the ground as she was being led past them.

"Wow, Portia. That orange jumpsuit is a _really_ great look on you," Faye called out. "I'll be sure to tell Carl all about it on our date tonight."

That caused Portia to look up. Her hazel eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

Faye smiled lazily. "I'd ask to borrow your handcuffs, but I have my own." She winked one golden eye.

Portia let out an audible huff. "I'll get you for that."

"That's enough," said one of the officers.

Faye continued to grin smugly. Portia eventually looked away.

Cassie turned abruptly. "Let's go," she told Diana.

Diana nodded and they walked with Laurel and Melanie to Diana's car. Diana gasped when she opened the driver's door.

"What's wrong?" Melanie asked.

"What is it?" Laurel leaned forward, peering over Diana's shoulder.

"It's a note," replied Diana. "And a box." She gestured to a black velvet box and a crisply folded sheet of white linen paper that were sitting on the driver's seat cushion. "But how did they get into my car? All the doors were locked. And my car has a security system."

The other girls shrugged their shoulders. No one had any clue how the mysterious items had gotten there.

"Well, it must be from your secret admirer," prompted Laurel. "Go ahead. Open it up."

Diana bent forward and picked up the note. She read aloud:

"_**Wind and Window Flower  
**__By Robert Frost_

_Lovers, forget your love,  
__And list to the love of these,  
__She a window flower,  
__And he a winter breeze._

_When the frosty window veil,  
__Was melted down at noon,  
__And the caged yellow bird  
__Hung over her in tune,_

_He marked her through the pane,  
__He could not help but mark,  
__And only passed her by  
__To come again at dark._

_He was a winter wind,  
__Concerned with ice and snow,  
__Dead weeds and unmated birds,  
__And little of love could know._

_But he sighed upon the sill,  
__He gave the sash a shake,  
__As witness all within  
__Who lay that night awake._

_Perchance he half prevailed  
__To win her for the flight  
__From the firelit looking-glass  
__And warm stove-window light._

_But the flower leaned aside  
__And thought of naught to say,  
__And morning found the breeze  
__A hundred miles away."_

Diana shook her head, confused. "I don't understand."

"Me, either," said Cassie.

"It sounds like he's giving up," commented Laurel.

"Or saying goodbye," Melanie added. "What's in the box?"

Diana reached forward and snapped open the velvet lid.

There was a stunned silence.

Inside the box was diamond necklace.

"Are those-?" Cassie's voice trailed off. She felt stupid for asking, but she couldn't help her curiosity. The necklace was studded with stones along its entire length. And they weren't tiny ones.

Melanie nodded. "Those are real."

"That has to be worth…" Cassie shook her head.

"More than this car," Laurel finished.

"I-I can't accept this." Diana closed the lid on the box.

"Well, who are you going to give it back to?" Melanie pointed out.

Diana sighed. "I wish I knew."

* * *

"Is he awake?" Cassie asked the nurse who was exiting Nick's room in the ICU.

"Not at the moment. He was conscious for a few minutes this morning though. The doctors think he's making great progress." The older woman smiled at her gently.

"Thanks." Cassie reluctantly walked back to the waiting room and took a seat next to Diana. Chris, Deborah and Doug were seated on the floor playing cards. Suzan was flipping through a fashion magazine and Sean was fiddling with his wristwatch.

Diana looked preoccupied.

"So what did you do with the necklace?" Cassie asked.

Diana glanced up, startled. "Oh! Cassie! I didn't see you there." She paused for a moment. "The necklace?"

Cassie nodded. "Yeah. What did you do with it?"

"It's in my room at home. I don't know what to do with it. It's a little overwhelming." Diana leaned back against the hard plastic chair she was sitting in. "I don't even know of anyone in town who could afford such a thing."

Cassie nodded. She couldn't think of anyone either. The Bainbridges were possibly the wealthiest people in town, but she doubted they had the additional funds to give a twenty thousand dollar necklace away on a whim.

"I feel bad about keeping it though. Maybe I should donate it to a charity?"

"Maybe you can sell it and help pay for Nick's medical bills," suggested Cassie, as she eyed their surroundings.

Diana nodded. "Good suggestion. That's probably what I'll do."

Cassie knew what Diana was thinking. The Armstrongs had health insurance coverage, but no one knew how much the final bill was going to be and the exact amount they would be expected to pay. Considering the days spent in the ICU and the treatment Nick was receiving, the bill was likely to be hefty. Selling the necklace would really help take care of any remaining portion the insurance didn't cover. Everyone knew Deborah's parents didn't have much extra money lying around.

"Maybe the necklace is a blessing in disguise," Cassie said.

Diana shook her head slowly. "I-I don't know. I didn't get that feeling at all from it."

"What do you mean?" Cassie leaned forward.

"Well, when I got home, I opened the box and looked at it again," Diana paused, looking slightly embarrassed. "And then I tried it on. I don't know why. Just to see how it looked, I guess."

"And?" Cassie prompted, after Diana didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"It looked beautiful. Regal, even. But something was off about it. It just felt _wrong_. The necklace had been sitting in the car for goodness knows how long, but the stones were ice cold against my neck." Diana shuddered at the memory. "It gave me chills all over."

_Strange_, thought Cassie.

"But that's not even the weirdest part," Diana continued, her voice low, so that the others couldn't hear. "I couldn't get it off. I tried and tried, but the clasp wouldn't come undone. It was stuck. I did everything I could think of to get it off. Finally, I couldn't take it any more and I just started pulling and yanking at it like crazy."

Diana held up her hands. There were several band-aids on her fingers. "The stones tore into my flesh and I don't know, maybe the blood loosened the clasp or something, but suddenly it came undone and I was holding it. Anyway, I didn't want to touch it so I flung it away." She shrugged. "It hit the mirror and cracked it into a zillion pieces."

Diana was staring off into the distance, her green eyes wide and unblinking.

"Diana, are you ok?" asked Cassie.

The blond girl shook her head. "I don't know."

Cassie reached out and put an arm around her. Diana honestly looked terrified, and that in itself was frightening to Cassie. "It'll be alright," Cassie told her. "It was just an accident."

"Maybe it was. But while I was standing in front of that broken mirror, I could see myself repeated in thousands of distorted ways, but I couldn't see my bedroom in any of the reflections. Everything behind me was black." After a brief moment, Diana turned her emerald gaze to Cassie. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No," Cassie said. "Of course not. You're the most honest person I've ever met. If you say that's what happened, then I believe you." Cassie shook her head slightly. "But I don't know how to explain it."

Diana shuddered. "Me either."

Before Cassie could try to comfort Diana further, the double doors to the waiting room burst open and Adam emerged. His hair was mussed and he was out of breath.

"What's wrong?" Cassie asked, immediately fearing for Nick.

"It's Portia. She's been released on bail," he exclaimed.

"Wait. You mean she's out of jail?" Diana gasped.

Adam nodded.

Deborah jumped to her feet. "Are you serious? This is unbelievable!"

"How could this happen?" asked Cassie.

"Apparently the judge didn't think she was a flight risk or a danger to anyone else and he agreed to let her out of jail pending her trial," Adam explained. He shook his head in disgust.

"What you really mean is that her daddy is rich and hired a some big-shot lawyer," hissed Deborah.

"Basically," Adam said. "But the good news is that Jordan is still locked up. The judge wasn't thrilled to hear of his pistol club affiliation, especially since he has a habit of threatening others with loaded weapons."

"Well, you know what this means." Chris pulled himself to his feet. "We'll just have to take care of Portia ourselves."

"Yeah," agreed Doug, jumping up next to him. "Count me in."

"Me, too." Deborah's hands were clenched into tight fists.

"I don't know that that's such a good idea," Diana began.

"Why not?" Suzan interjected. "Portia attacked Cassie and nearly killed Nick. The girl has it coming."

Suzan _did_ have a point.

"And she even threatened Faye today in the parking lot, don't you remember?" the strawberry blonde added.

"Oh, my God. You're right. She did!" squealed Sean. He squirmed anxiously in his seat. "Faye better watch out."

"I don't know," said Cassie. "I don't think Portia could take on Faye all by herself."

Deborah scoffed in agreement. "She'd be stupid to try that. Faye would knock her flat without lifting a finger."

The others nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the back of Cassie's mind a thought was churning. There was something she had forgotten about Faye. And it was important. But what?

She had the feeling that it was highly relevant right now. If only she could put her finger on it…

_Faye's prophecy!_ That was it! In all her worry over Diana and Adam also being fated together and Nick's terrible dilemma, she had completely forgotten that the Oracle has spoken to Faye as well.

"_Faye, the fire inside you burns bright and strong, but not with anger or passion. It burns with love. It will lead you to the ultimate battle."_

But what did it all mean? Was Faye's "love" for Carl going to cause a showdown between her and Portia? And was that the "ultimate battle" the Oracle was referring to?

A catfight with Portia seemed unlikely to be the ultimate clash the Oracle had mentioned. It was obvious that Portia was no match for the likes of Faye.

But then what was the Oracle talking about?

Cassie bit her lip until it stung. She had the uncomfortable feeling that she would find out just what the Oracle meant.

And that she would find out very soon.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer:** These characters (Cassie and the Circle, etc.) were originally created by L.J. Smith. They all belong to her creative genius. However, the plot of this story and a few new characters are my own creations. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

**A/N:** Here it is, the final chapter of _The Prophecy_! Please let me know what you think! I hope you enjoy! Thanks again for reading! (More author's notes are at the end.)

* * *

Cassie was still pondering Faye's prophecy when the raven-haired girl strolled into the hospital waiting room. She was dressed to kill in a fuchsia mini-dress and spike heels. It was entirely inappropriate for the hospital with its cheap plastic furniture and out-dated television sets. A few strangers on the far side of the room looked at her with mild curiosity.

"I thought you had a date," said Deborah.

"I did," answered Faye. "But Carl never showed up. His mother said he left an hour ago, so I figured I'd check here. Maybe he got confused about where to pick me up."

Her confident tone gave the impression that she wasn't considering the possibility that she had been stood up.

Cassie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she stood. "I'm going to see if Nick's awake."

She could hear Adam trying to convince Deb and the Hendersons to stay at the hospital and to leave Portia alone, as she headed through the doors toward Nick's room.

Nick's door was open, but his eyes were closed. Cassie sighed in disappointment.

She was leaning against the doorframe when the messenger approached.

"Are you Cassie Blake?" he asked, looking down at his clipboard.

"Yes," she answered, slightly confused.

"This is for you." He handed her an envelope, that appeared to contain a card and a bundle of helium balloons. Then he disappeared down the hall, presumably to make other deliveries.

_This must be for Nick_, Cassie thought. She tied the balloons onto the drawer of the small nightstand in the room and then tore open the envelope.

To her surprise, the front of the card was blank. Frowning, she opened it, revealing a handwritten message.

_Cassie,_

_If you ever want to see your witch-loving friend Carl again, come to pier 26 at ten p.m._

_This is between you and me. Come alone or he dies._

_ Portia_

Cassie recognized the perfectly formed cursive script. She had seen Portia practice it numerous times during their summer on Cape Cod.

Cassie ran a nervous hand through her hair. This was no joke. Apparently Portia had wasted no time once she had been released from jail. She had taken Carl and she was serious.

_He could already be hurt. He could already be…_ Cassie stopped herself before her thoughts sent her into a blind panic. Carl was an innocent bystander. He didn't deserve to be brought into all of this.

She had to do something.

* * *

It was 9:55 pm when Cassie knocked on the ramshackle door of Pier 26's lone boathouse.

There was no answer.

Taking a deep breath, Cassie reached out and turned the knob, which was surprisingly unlocked. She slowly pushed the door inward and took a few paltry steps inside. The room was filled with stacks of old, wooden crates that were half rotted by the briny sea air. The entire area was dimly lit by a few naked light bulbs hanging from the dilapidated ceiling. "Portia?" she called. "Carl?"

There was a muffled sound coming from the center of the room. Cassie stepped past a tall row of crates and saw Carl, bound to a chair with a handkerchief stuffed in his mouth.

"Oh, my God!" she cried out, rushing over to him. Portia was nowhere to be seen. Cassie quickly pulled the gag out of his mouth.

"Thank God you're here," exclaimed Carl.

Cassie moved behind him to start working on the ropes. She had just bent down when she realized something. The rope was loosely gathered near Carl's hands, but it wasn't tied.

_Uh-oh._

Cassie's heart thudded loudly in her chest.

Carl easily pulled his hands away from the loose coils. He smiled over his shoulder at her. "Now we can finally stop pretending."

Cassie took a few steps back, stumbling into an old pile of boxes. "Carl, what are you talking about? Where's Portia?"

"Portia?" He raised an eyebrow, as if he thought it was interesting that Cassie had asked. "She's right there." He gestured to the other side of the room.

Cassie could barely make out the terrified girl in the corner. It was Portia, all right, and she had several strands of rope wrapped around her waist, binding her to a chair. "Help me," she whined. "He's crazy."

Cassie took another step away from Carl. She needed to get to the door; to _help_. But now she'd have to walk around him to get to it. And that might not be possible.

_Try to remain calm_, she told herself. _Don't panic._

Carl took a step closer to her. "This isn't about Portia, you know." He studied her thoughtfully for a moment, gauging her reaction. "I just needed an excuse to get you away from the hospital. You've been there for days. And I needed a place where we could be alone."

Cassie's eyes flickered to the door. Carl stepped directly in front of her, blocking her view. Then he slowly grinned. "You see, this is about you and me."

"What are you talking about?" gasped Cassie. _Has he completely lost his mind?_

"Yes, what are you talking about?" demanded Adam, as he burst through the door. The rest of the coven, except for Nick, followed.

Cassie sighed with relief. _It was about time they decided to come inside!_

Carl sighed briefly. When he spoke again, his voice was flat. "You were supposed to come alone."

"She's not stupid," snapped Melanie.

"Please! Help me! Somebody, please!" Portia cried from the corner.

Carl glanced over his shoulder at her. "Silence."

Portia's mouth continued to move, but no sound came out. Her eyes widened in horror and tears spilled over her cheeks.

"What the-?" Doug muttered.

"Holy shit!" Chris exclaimed.

The whole coven shifted uncomfortably on their feet. Whoever Carl was, he wasn't human.

And he was incredibly powerful.

Cassie could feel something carefully contained within Carl, just below the surface. But she couldn't sense it very well. It was too deftly hidden.

"Who are you?" Cassie asked.

He shot her an amused look. "You mean you don't know?"

Suddenly, Carl began to tremble and convulse. He fell to the floor and began to jerk and twitch, as if having an epileptic seizure.

"What's happening?" cried Suzan.

"I don't know!" answered Diana.

"Everyone stand back," ordered Adam.

Cassie hurried over to stand with the others on the opposite side of Carl's collapsed figure. After a minute or so, Carl's body became horribly still.

"Is he breathing?" asked Melanie.

No one immediately moved to check. After a brief hesitation, Diana bent down. "It doesn't look like it." She put a hand to his neck. "I can't find a pulse."

Suddenly, there was a terrible gasping sound and Carl's chest rose several inches off the ground. Then he began coughing and sputtering loudly.

"Carl? Carl, are you ok?" Diana asked, from beside him.

He blinked rapidly, looking up at her. "Who are you? And where the heck am I?" He began trying to sit up.

Diana looked up at Cassie with confusion. Adam's eyes were wide. Everyone in the Circle looked at each other.

_What the heck just happened?_

Cassie was shaking her head in bewilderment when she saw him.

A shock of blond spiky hair. Eyes as black as midnight. The face of an angel.

He was dressed entirely in black and he was leaning against a stack of old row boats piled against the far wall.

Cassie's heart nearly stopped in her chest.

_Oh, God._

And then she knew.

_Darkness follows. _

Not from the spell. From California.

"_Well, do you think a person can change their fate?"_ she had asked him.

"_I think it's possible,"_ he had replied. _"But only if they know someone powerful enough."_

Bastian. Bastian was powerful enough.

"_You would give anything?" _That silky voice echoed through her head.

Oh, God, she had invoked the dark powers long before she had ever performed the soulmate spell.

How could she have been so stupid? The Oracle had even warned her.

"_As the child of Black John, darkness will always find you. You must be prepared."_

But she hadn't been. This was all her fault.

She had been blinded by his charming smile, his graceful manner, and his handsome looks. She'd even thought that he had the face of an angel.

Well, of course he did. He had been one once, a very, very long time ago…

"_Oh, I definitely believe in God,"_ he had said. _"But I'm not one for religion."_

_Pff… could have fooled me, _she had thought. And he had. He had fooled her all along.

But the truth was simple. Jordan Bainbridge had even said it himself._ "You make a deal with the devil and there's going to be hell to pay."_

Oh, the devil was here alright. And he had come to collect the price.

With her terror building inside, Cassie continued to stare at him, her heart thudding heavily in her chest. Part of her wanted to turn and run away as fast as she could, but she knew it wouldn't do any good.

There was no running from _this_.

After a moment, Bastian casually walked over to the group of teens that were examining Carl. They were asking him numerous questions that he couldn't answer. He seemed to have no idea about anything.

"Don't worry about Carl," Bastian said in that velvety smooth voice of his. "He'll be just fine."

Adam and the rest of the circle startled at his appearance.

"Who the hell are you?" Adam asked.

Cassie grabbed at Adam's arm and tried to pull him back, away from the strange blond guy. "He's Lucifer," she exclaimed.

The others gasped in both awe and confusion.

But Bastian simply laughed. "That old bastard? Hardly. I've told you before, my name is Bastian. Besides, when did you turn all Judeo-Christian on me? I thought witches were supposed to be Pagan?"

"You know what she means," Adam said. "The devil has many names. He's part of many cultures."

"Very true," Bastian nodded, his tone becoming serious. "But I'm not him. I'm _nothing_ like him." There was a hint of disgust in his voice.

Diana gazed at him in wonder. She blinked her emerald eyes. "You're his son."

Bastian glanced at her sharply, as if surprised, but he kept his composure. "Not by choice," he told her. "But yeah, you guessed it—I'm the bloody Prince of Darkness." He sighed. "Now can we get on with this?"

"Get on with what?" Adam asked. He seemed to be one of the few people brave enough to speak.

Now that Bastian was no longer hidden by Carl's body, he emanated waves of dark Power. The intensity of it was daunting.

"I've got myself a soul to collect," Bastian said flatly. He looked at Cassie. "We had a deal."

There was a colossal uproar from the group.

"You what?" demanded Melanie, her eyes wide.

"Cassie, you know this guy?" Chris asked.

Diana's hand flew to her mouth. The others looked on in horror.

"I didn't know who you were," Cassie exclaimed. "I never promised you anything!"

"That's not true. You said you would give anything." Bastian's midnight eyes seemed bottomless, eternal. There was not a single emotion reflected in them. "And this is the price."

"No!" Adam cried out. "There has to be some way out of this! What was the deal about?"

"He told me where to find the shop with the black magic," Cassie said. "The stuff I used and caused all of those terrible things to happen."

Bastian arched an white-blond eyebrow. "You really think that's what all this is about?" He shook his head. "That was _not_ our deal. Well, not entirely. 'I just wish that my friends and I could choose what we wanted to happen,'" he mocked. "_That's_ what you wished for. And I made it so. I lent you my power to break the soulmate bonds. You couldn't have done that on your own. Your kind simply doesn't have that ability. The black magic from that spell only affected you—made you more susceptible to your desires, easier to anger, and closer to the darkness. All of the other crazy events that have happened during the last few weeks were just what you had asked for originally. They were simply what you and your friends wanted to happen. They weren't side effects of black magic. They were your friends' inner most thoughts, secret desires, and wishes."

"I didn't want Logan Bainbridge to die!" Cassie cried out.

Bastian shrugged. "Ever hear the phrase 'be careful what you wish for?'"

Cassie couldn't help the tears that began to fall then.

"You bastard!" Chris charged straight for Bastian with Doug right at his heels.

It was no use. Bastian sent them both flying into the nearby stacks of crates with a mere look and a twist of one hand.

Luckily, neither brother was seriously hurt. But it left the entire coven stunned silent.

"Yes, my dear," Bastian said to Cassie, as if the Henderson brothers had never existed. "It _was_ your thoughts that sent poor Logan right over a cliff." Bastian then turned to Adam. "And _your_ thoughts made your friend Nick wolf-bait. But I have a feeling you knew that already."

Adam gritted his teeth as the others stared at him.

Bastian stepped forward a few paces and stopped in front of Faye. "And _you_ have quite the temper, young lady. You not only threw Sally down an elevator shaft but you nearly drowned your cousin, as well. And all over minor annoyances, really." Then he sighed, turning back to Cassie. "You do have to admit, however, that some good did come out of it all. You were able to save the life of your friend—or is he your lover?" He shrugged. "Either way, you were able to reach inside yourself and want so badly for him to live—and there you go! He lives. You couldn't have done_ that_ on your own. You don't have that kind of power naturally."

_So that's how we saved Nick_, thought Cassie. _It all went back to my deal with Bastian._

At the moment, Bastian's handsome face was beginning to look bored. Cassie knew she was running out of time.

_Think, Cassie, think!_ There had to be a way out of this or at least a way to buy some time.

Goodness knows, there was no way a spell was going to work on someone as powerful as that. But what could she possibly do?

"Why did you save Diana from drowning?" Cassie asked on a whim.

"What?" Bastian almost seemed taken off guard.

"Well, you said Faye's thoughts almost drowned her. And they would have, except that you stopped it. So why did you?"

Bastian was not amused by this line of questioning. His voice was harsher than before. "I had my reasons."

"In fact," Cassie continued, "why have you been hanging around all these weeks going to class and stuff. High school can't be that appealing. Why didn't you come to collect earlier? Why wait until now?"

Bastian glared at her, but he didn't respond.

It was Melanie who answered. "He saw Diana."

"What?" Adam's eyebrows were in his hair.

"It was you," Diana whispered, recognition dawning on her face. "All this time…" She shook her head.

"_He's_ your admirer?" Faye's voice was heavy with disbelief.

"Admirer? _What_ admirer?" Adam demanded.

"So that's why you couldn't let her drown," Cassie said. "You're in love with her."

Bastian's lips curled into a sarcastic sneer, but he didn't deny it.

Diana stepped past Cassie and Adam, positioning herself so that she faced Bastian directly.

Cassie could feel the waves of dark power originating from Bastian's lithe physique. She wondered how Diana could stand being so close to him. It had to have been overwhelming.

"So you stuck around New Salem because of me?" Diana's voice was crisp, but soft.

"Yes," Bastian replied. He was looking down at Diana with his endless onyx eyes and Cassie was abruptly struck by the contrast between the two of them. Diana was everything that was light, radiant and warm. She was the epitome of goodness and life. Bastian, on the other hand, seemed filled to the brim with darkness. She could almost imagine that his insides were cold and empty. Just looking at him was like staring at the glimmering edge of a knife point. He was incredibly beautiful, but oh, so very sharp and lethal.

Suddenly, Cassie couldn't help but recall part of the last poem he had sent Diana—the one about the winter breeze and the window flower.

_But he sighed upon the sill,  
__He gave the sash a shake,  
__As witness all within  
__Who lay that night awake._

_Perchance he half prevailed  
__To win her for the flight  
__From the firelit looking-glass  
__And warm stove-window light._

_But the flower leaned aside  
__And thought of naught to say,  
__And morning found the breeze  
__A hundred miles away._

And somehow Cassie knew that Diana was recalling the same thing.

"You stayed because you wanted me to come with you. You thought you might make me understand," Diana said.

"Maybe," Bastian replied.

"And then you gave up. You decided to leave and cash in on your deal," Diana continued.

Bastian's midnight eyes were studying Diana thoughtfully. "So what if I did?"

"Diana, no!" Cassie cried. She knew what the other girl was about to do.

"Release Cassie from the deal and I'll go away with you." Diana spoke confidently, her emerald eyes never wavering from Bastian's.

"You'll be mine completely?" Bastian asked. He seemed unaware of the ten teenagers screaming at Diana and trying to pull her back.

"Yes," Diana called out over the chaos.

"Done." Bastian's reply was emotionless and immediate.

"No! Take me instead! Don't do this, Diana!" Cassie cried. "It was my deal!"

"Take me! I volunteer!" Adam said, trying to pull Diana back and step in front of her.

"Shut up, both of you!" hissed Faye. "He ought to take me. Come on, do you really want the Princess of Purity?" she asked Bastian. "We could have so much fun together."

Bastian simply shook his head. Then he extended his arm to Diana. She took the hand that was offered, and before anyone could say another word, they disappeared.

"No!" screamed Adam, but it was useless.

Diana was already gone.

* * *

Several moment of terse silence passed.

"Well, what do we do now?" asked Sean.

"We find her, you idiot," snapped Faye.

Cassie nodded.

"We're going to get her back," said Adam. "We have to."

It was at that moment that Cassie recalled her recurring nightmare in which they had been searching in the darkness for someone, over and over again. Now Cassie knew that person was Diana.

And they _did _have to find her. The thought was unsettling.

Cassie sat back on her heels and watched as Laurel finally succeeded in untying the now mute Portia. The terrified blond girl tried in vain to say a few more things, but to no avail. Then she turned and fled on shaking legs, disappearing into the night.

"Well, at least we won't be hearing any more threats from her," Suzan muttered.

The real Carl was still looking befuddled, but he kept quiet in his seat on the floor next to Cassie. He was focused on the action in the center of the room.

Cassie followed his gaze to where Faye was pacing the floor, her spike heels tapping loudly against the old wood. She was already spouting off instructions to Deborah and Melanie, who both nodded eagerly.

The raven-haired girl with the golden eyes looked like an angry goddess preparing for war. "There's no way he's keeping my cousin prisoner forever. We're not going to stand for this."

Who'd have thought that when it came down to it, Faye actually cared so much about her cousin? Cassie thought.

Adam took a seat on the floor next to Cassie. He didn't have to say a word. The devastation was written all over his face. Cassie reached out and took his hand, fighting the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

It was hard to be hopeful at the moment, when everything was just so horrible. And really, how were they going to find Diana? And what could any of them possibly do against Bastian?

But they couldn't just give up. They couldn't just let Diana be lost forever.

_They had to find her! They had to fight for her, dammit!_

Cassie's thoughts suddenly rewound to Faye's prophecy and a chill traveled up her spine.

The ultimate battle was coming.

* * *

**The end!**

Stay tuned for the sequel, Child of Darkness.

_Redemption comes with a price…_

The Circle fights to save Diana from the most powerful evil known to man, and finally, Cassie must choose between Adam and Nick.

* * *

**A/N:** Anyway, there are so many people that I would like to thank but it would take up way too much room here to do individual shout outs! So to each and every last person who reviewed, thank you so much! It took a lot of effort and time to write this story and it means so much that you all took a second to tell me what you thought. Every time I looked at this story and thought that maybe I was wasting my time or that maybe it was utter crap and I should just give up, I thought about the people who expressed such a desire to read more and I realized that no matter how long it took, I couldn't let them down.

I had originally hoped to be finished with this story long ago, so I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting. I'd always planned on telling this story in two parts, so hopefully I'll be quicker about updating on the sequel. Anyway, stay tuned and I hope you enjoy what comes next!


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